Maureen Byrne, the Director of generationOn clubs and the heart and soul of Kids Care Clubs passed away yesterday. Written by Kathy Saulitis – Sr. VP of Programs and close friend and colleague of Maureen Byrne.

Maureen’s  passion for inspiring and empowering kids and caring for the underserved can be seen in the many projects, stories and resources that she created for the Kids Care Clubs program. Maureen’s work was embodied in her many missions and countless caring acts.

One of the flagship programs of Kids Care Clubs is Holiday Hope Chests.  Every December, Maureen would endeavor to meet every request she received, from the Department of Children and Families to the local Prison Fellowship.  She would tirelessly go through hundreds of boxes insuring that every child received an equal gift.  She especially watched out for the teenagers who were often forgotten and reached out to friends and friends of friends to provide them with gift cards and small electronics.

Another special place in Maureen’s heart was reserved for foster care children.  She created the Team Up for Kids in Foster Care project and posted it during Foster Care Month.  Kids from all across the country assembled backpacks and duffel bags for foster care children and found their inner compassion for the lives of foster care children through the stories, books and activities that  Maureen created.  And as always, Maureen took a personal interest in working with the Department of Children and Families to help find items that foster care families needed for their new children.  One day Maureen got a call that two brothers would be separated if the DCF didn’t find a bed quickly; Maureen made it her mission to find that bed for the family immediately.

Baby Bags and Baskets, a project by which kids help provide items for young single moms of newborns, was used with the POL/HON and Pampers Surprise Baby Shower initiative.  Maureen worked to identify clubs in the Pampers markets and then helped them as they planned and implemented their baby showers.  One club of elementary school-aged boys actually planned the whole shower themselves, made scrapbooks for the moms and served the refreshments at the shower. Maureen reached out to these vulnerable moms and their babies, and she, along with her daughter Julia visited a home for single moms to help and babysit so that the moms could take classes or just simply take a break.

Many of you may have received a note or a card from Maureen for a new baby, a marriage, wishes to get well or sympathy when a love one passed away.  She was so thoughtful – always caring for others, her children, her friends, her colleagues and the kids and facilitators of Kids Care Clubs.

Maureen was truly an angel to so many and her incredible spirit will continue to live on in all the lives she touched.