Dear Friends,

I want to share with you an issue that is dear to my heart: specifically, the amount of time that middle school children spend on their electronic devices. And I am asking you to join me in providing healthy and fun alternatives to mindless hours in cyberspace.

Spending time in nature has amazing mental and physical rewards for young people, but we need to provide paths to get them there.

We need to guide our children back to nature, where they can hear the healing songs of birds, see the awe-inspiring sky and touch the living, abundant, cool grass beneath their feet.

The Issue

On average, a child in middle school spends 5-7 hours a day immersed in their electronic devices. Excessive time staring at an electronic device is harmful, interfering with the development of social skills and often leading to anxiety and depression.

The Cure is Outdoors!

Together, you and I can give children a place and a reason to Drop the Device and Touch the Grass! Studies show that when children spend time in nature, their concentration, attention span, knowledge retention and mood all improve.

Following the Sisters’ Lead

The Dominican Sisters of Hope have always been committed to teaching and nurturing children, especially those who are disadvantaged. Now, through their sponsored ministry, the Center at Mariandale, that tradition continues with the new innovative youth program, Drop the Device and Touch the Grass.

We bring fifth grade children to the protected land at Mariandale for after-school hours, where they explore nature with all of their senses. They delight in the magic of birdsongs and wildlife. They feel and smell healthy soil for growing plants and food. They are awestruck by the beauty of the Hudson River and changing seasons.

I know how important this work is for our local children. That is why I am sponsoring the Center at Mariandale’s Drop the Device and Touch the Grass Match Challenge!

For every child you sponsor, I will sponsor one too.

Together, we can have twice the impact! It only costs $150 to bring a child to Mariandale after school. Can you give the gift of discovering nature to a child? Together, we will enable two children to Drop the Device and Touch the Grass!

Please give whatever you can. On behalf of all of the local children you will help, thank you!

Roz Abrams

Roz Abrams is an award-winning news journalist. She enjoyed a long career as a news anchor at Manhattan news stations WCBS and WABC. During her tenure as a news journalist, she reported on such critical global stories as the AIDs epidemic, the Chernobyl disaster and the end of apartheid in South Africa. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Center at Mariandale, offering her leadership in support of fundraising and innovative programming.