"Aviva is an amazing person. In a short time she knows each child by name. She really gives us an early insight into the children and with her interventions and training, has transformed our kindergarten to become a new school." - written by the director of one of the schools benefiting from Aviva Segal and The Mack Belson Early Academic Intervention Program.

"I just wanted to write you and let you know how I have witnessed first hand this year how beneficial the early intervention program has been. Working this year in kindergarten, I have had the privilege of working with Aviva and her team and seeing how our students are benefiting with their help. Without such a program, there is no doubt many of our children would fall through the cracks and not receive the help they so desperately require. Keep up the great work!" - written by a kindergarten teacher involved with The Mack Belson Early Academic Intervention Program. 

"I sometimes wear the bracelet too and people always ask. Gail's brave actions gave hope to two other British fathers who sadly lost their children. Gail may not realize that from her tragic loss, other parents are inspired by how she was able to continue, be proactive & create the foundation in Mack's memory and help others..." 
A second email that a friend's sister living in England sent. Received it on Friday afternoon. A very poignant beginning and end to my week.

"I regularly use the Mack Belson bag for travel and get asked and tell people. Your friend would be surprised at how wide and far her son's name lives on."
From an email that a friend's sister living in England sent her. It was a nice way to start a Monday morning.

"Dearest Staff at BJEC, 
My son D. and I want to thank you for your outstanding work at the reading camp. As a mother, I not only want my son to succeed academically but it is also important for children to feel comfortable and safe in their environment. At BJEC, not only were we welcomed with smiles everyday, the staff's hard work and efforts made my son feel confident and proud of what he achieved. Along with Aviva's team's professionalism and warmth, D. believes in himself. He truly feels he can succeed while having fun and learning at the same time.
I want to thank you Aviva, your program helped my son blossom. He will carry the confidence and skills acquired for the rest of his life. From the bottom of my heart, sincerely"  -  from a parent of a child who attended the Reading Camp.

"Imagine sitting at the table in July discussing 'compound words' with a 7 year old boy leading the family discussion. this was the scene at my dinner table last night. As I watched my son, he beamed with a newfound confidence in his abilities. 
The summer reading camp at the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre provides an excellent staff to student ratio for children who need extra help with their reading skills. The staff is professional, enthusiastic and dedicated to the growth of each child. - from a parent of a child who attended the Reading Camp.

"My son can't wait to read another book to anyone in the family. His skills have improved and his self confidence is soaring. The camp runs for 3 weeks, 1 hour per day. It is the best investment for any child who needs a boost in reading skills. Thank you so much" - from a parent of a child who attended the Reading Camp. 

"I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I saw the article in the Suburban last week. I can honestly tell you that I was almost brought to tears by the time I was done reading it. I thought of you and your passion for the foundation and what it stands for and most of all I thought of Mackie and how you are doing him such justice. This new project is literally going to save the academic lives of young children, children like me who were not assessed early enough. I am so proud for what is being done."

"Let me begin by expressing my gratitude for your generosity. I do not always have the opportunity to show my appreciation for those involved in furthering my daughter's education. Your act of kindness proves to me your determination to transform pain into healing. May Hashem bless you and your loved ones with health & happiness. May you go from strength to strength in helping children reach their potential. Once again, I thank you for your offer to cover the costs of a speech/language assessment for my daughter. This will definitely facilitate in seeing her progress, as well as pinpointing her strengths and weaknesses in this aspect." - from a parent.

"I simply wanted to write just a few words to thank you so much for your foundations efforts in obtaining therapy for my son J. I have found dealing with the foundation to be most ethical, professional and courteous. I feel very lucky that such a foundation is prominent in our community as it is not always evident. Having these funds available has enabled my son to receive the ever so important therapies. 
In closing, I might add the real gift has been the focus you personally have given to both of us; whether it was for advice or support, it has helped us enormously! J. has made substantial strides since receiving the help from The Mack Belson Foundation and gives us hope for the future in our continued efforts." - from a parent.

Paying It Forward - by Jayme Kushner, Grade 7, Bialik High School
"For my Pay It Forward project, I chose to raise money for The Mack Belson Foundation. The Mack Belson Foundation raises money for families who have children with learning disabilities and are not able to pay the costs to help their children. The foundation was established in memory of Mackenzie Reed Belson, a four year old boy who passed away tragically in a drowning accident in Ste. Agathe in July, 2006. Mack had a learning disability and got the help that he needed. As for other less fortunate families, there is a lack of public and government funding and many learning disabled children are not able to get the help that they need.

The foundation has held one gala event so far which was a bingo night. It was a huge success. Also, there is a special APPLE program because Mack's favourite food was apples. A stands for Auditory, P stands for Processing, P stands for Plus, L stands for Learning and E stands for Enhancements. Auditory Plus Learning Enhancements. The goal of this program is to give hope to children by giving them the tools to overcome their disabilities. Mack's mother Gail said "We hope to plant the seeds and allow this APPLE program to grow into a much needed resource for our community."

Mack's family happens to be very close with mine so my mom and I are proud to be helping the foundation in every possible way. Since the day it was founded, I wanted to do anything I could to help. In 2006-2007, over $120,000 was raised for the foundation. Last year, I sold bracelets at my school, Solomon Schechter and I raised close to $250. I was so proud of myself. It inspired me to do more community service and I wanted to give every minute of every day to the foundation. This year, I am continuing to sell merchandise for Mack and in one day, I raised $20 so imagine how much I would be able to sell in a month! When I raised my first dollar, I felt as if I had already changed some kid's life and as if I had helped some family in a huge way. My actions changed the world because now, fewer kids in Montreal will have problems dealing with their learning disabilities and will be able to pay the costs for help that is needed.

I think that I have changed because I now have a different perspective on the world. I realized that there are some very generous and kind people and there are people who are really selfish. Some people care about others and some people only care about themselves. There are people who want to make a difference in the world and people who sit back and wait for something to happen. And last but not least, there are people like me who want to give everything to charities and donate their time to help others. I think that I am very lucky to have a roof over my head, food on the table and two parents who love me more than anything in the world. I am proud of myself because I was able to help other kids overcome obstacles in their life. I will never forget Mack and I will always be there to help, no matter what."
Jayme, David, Ruby and I are so touched by your essay. You should be very proud of yourself. Thank you for allowing us to post your beautiful words on Mack's site. 

"On behalf of the students in the Shorashim special education program, the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre would like to thank you for your generous donation which will be used towards speech and occupational therapy services. Our students are thriving in the class and we have had very positive feedback from both parents and teachers. As you know, the costs associated with special education are very high but the rewards are great. With sincere appreciation to the Foundation." - Dale Boidman, Executive Director of the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre.

"My wife and I have been married for nine years. Our son is approx. four and a half and was adopted one day after birth in Las Vegas, Nevada. At approximately two years of age, D was diagnosed with autism. We have provided him with various interventions such as speech therapy, OT, the Trampoline program and a shadow at his daycare. These have all resulted in D's progress in various areas of development. We have seen improvement in his social interactions, communication and behaviour.
The Mack Belson Foundation was a real gift as it enabled us to continue with these interventions to help our son grow. We are very thankful that such a foundation exists and we hope that it will continue to help other families in the future as it did for us." - from a parent.