Thank you, Mary Emma Allison
Caryl M. Stern, President & CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, has posted this message on the occasion of the death of Mary Emma Allison, co-founder of “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.”
Please leave your messages of condolence and remembrances for the Allison family via the comments section below. If you wish to make a donation to a memorial fund, click here.
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF mourns the passing of Mary Emma Allison, co-founder of “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.” Mrs. Allison, 93, died yesterday in the comfort of her home, surrounded by her beloved family.
In 1947, at the end of a busy Halloween night spent handing out candy to children, Mrs. Allison made a simple, but significant, observation to her husband, Reverend Clyde Allison: “It’s too bad we can’t turn this into something good.” Reverend Allison agreed, and the two of them got to work developing an idea that would eventually become Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
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| Mary Emma Allison with her children. |
Little did Mrs. Allison know at the time just how much “good” her wish would create. Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, now celebrating its 60th year, has inspired generations of children across America, and has helped UNICEF save millions of children’s lives around the globe.
Back in 1947, Reverend Allison edited national youth educational materials for the Presbyterian Church, and he was able to widely promote the idea of children helping other children. He encouraged them to collect physical goods to send to children in war-torn Europe (soap, overcoats, and shoes) in partnership with Church World Service. By 1950, such items were no longer in demand, and war relief organizations were disbanding.
But the Allisons knew there were many impoverished regions of the world where children did desperately need help, and they were loath to give up on the powerful notion of children helping other children. Mrs. Allison assured her husband she would find a way to continue the program — she was determined to make it happen.
In late 1949, Mrs. Allison took her three young children to buy winter coats at Wannamaker’s store in Philadelphia. They came upon a parade of children and followed it to its destination: a booth collecting donations to help UNICEF purchase powdered milk for children in postwar Japan. Ms. Gertrude Ely, a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt who had organized the event, discussed UNICEF’s work with Mrs. Allison. Afterwards, Mrs. Allison rushed home to share the good news with her husband: she had found the perfect beneficiary for their campaign.
In anticipation of Halloween, 1950, Mrs. Allison wrote a passionate appeal, published nationally in the Presbyterian youth curriculum, asking children to collect spare change for UNICEF. And so Trick-Treat-for UNICEF was born. Through the years, many famous faces have championed Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF — from Presidents and First Ladies to celebrities; rock stars to cartoon characters. The program is still driven by grassroots enthusiasm, with teachers, volunteers, and especially children behind its ongoing success. Of course modern technology now plays its role, and it’s unlikely Mrs. Allison could have anticipated the current iPhone application.
No matter the modernizations, one aspect of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF remains constant: the extraordinary empowerment and pride a child experiences when she counts up the pennies in her collection box and realizes that she’s raised enough money to provide a child with drinking water for more than a month, or purchase a vaccine for a peer half a world away. To date, more than $160 million has been raised for children in need through Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
Reverend Clyde and Mrs. Allison dedicated themselves to their close-knit family and to serving their community with humility and compassion. Mrs. Allison leaves a legacy born of her kindness and her fundamental belief in the dignity and worth of all children.
What began as a simple wish to turn Halloween into something “good” resulted in the nation’s longest-running youth service program. Because of the Allisons, untold numbers of children’s lives have been saved and improved over the last 60 years. And generations of American children have been inspired to follow their hearts and supplement their Halloween candy collection with something much more important.
Our debt is enormous, and we remember Mrs. Allison with abiding respect, gratitude, and love. Undoubtedly, the millions of children we serve would say the same, if given the opportunity.
The Allison family warmly welcomes personal stories and memories of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF from former and current “Trick-or-Treaters,” and all friends of UNICEF. Please share them, with your condolences, below.
My prayers and thoughts go out to the Allison family. The Trick-or-Treat program for UNICEF has been my family tradition since Sunday school over 30 years ago. What a wonderful contribution Mary Emma made that has shaped childrens lives here and those around the world.
I wish the family well. They are a shining example of true and intrinsic philanthropy.
Mary Emma Allison is a shining example of how one person can make a huge difference in the world. Her home-spun wisdom, do-good intentions and simple yet powerful vision to help children around the world by encouraging US families to drop a few coins in trick-or-treaters’ milk cartons on Halloween ignited a grassroots campaign that quickly spread across the country. Sixty years later, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has become our nation’s oldest and largest philanthropic youth movement, raising over $160 million from millions of children every Halloween who continue to collect coins in their little orange boxes. Mary left the world a better place for children to survive and thrive because of the generosity she inspired in millions of Americans young and old.
Hi Alison,
We knew if you were still alve you would love to witness this 60th anniversary of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF innitiative which you started. You have briought smiles and happiness to kids all over the world and its because of you that many have had the chance to have a better life. I know where you are now, many smiles of children you saved through this innitiative are all over and the candle lights they bring with them is just to beat you farewell and to say THANK YOU.
Till we meet again
I did not know Rev. Allison or Mary Emma, but their vision has shaped my life. My thoughts and prayers are with the Allison family.
We remember our own childhood Halloween efforts on behalf of Trick or Treat for UNICEF, salute the Allisons for their brilliant, simple vision, and hope that the world’s parents and children will forevermore participate in this most worthwhile of campaigns!
ADG/HCY
Dear Mary Jean, Mickey, and Clyde.
I remember you, yuor Mom and Dad from my childhood. I lived across the street from the Bridesburg Presbyterian Church, in Phila. It is with warmth and kindness that I remember your Mom and Dad. It was fun going door to door, we got candy for ourselves and lots of pennies and nickles for UNICEF in those little milk cartons. I will hold you and yours in my good thoughts.
Pat Coyle Fox
Oh, how I loved that program — thank you SO MUCH Mary Emma, for creating it (and how sad that it no longer exists). I will never forget the little orange boxes and my pride in handing it in. I also loved when UNICEF collected coins from travellers on aircraft. It’s more than every little bit helps — it instructed me in the idea that others did not have a roof over their heads nor enough food to eat. May you rest in peace.
I remember going out with my church Sunday school class when I was a kid to Trick or Treat for UNICEF on the night before Halloween. We were instructed to accept coins but not candy. When my own sons were old enough to go out for UNICEF, I could not find any groups doing it. So I went online and found information on the site to get started. I have been leading Trick or Treat for UNICEF through my church for about twenty years now. Several people have told me how much it meant to them and how happy they were to find that it was still going on. I am grateful to Mary Emma for starting it all and my condolences to the family.
Beth Feuerstein
Geneseo United Methodist Church
In the early 1950′s I started Trick or Treating for UNICEFF through my Sunday School and passed on the tradition to my children and grandchildren. The day before Halloween this year 3 children came to my door for UNICEF with their little orange boxes, what a thrill it was to see.
Thank you Mary Emma for filling a need , creating a tradition and creating wonderful memories for so many.
You will no doubt be organizing something as important in heaven!
My heart goes out to your family as they mourn their loss.
Chweyl White Dennis
UNICEF CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE. Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.
The Salvation Army’s Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization 96 percent of donated dollars go to the
cause.
Hi Henry,
A number of people have received an email claiming that the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s CEO or UNICEF’s Executive Director makes $1,200,000 per year.
These types of misinformation campaigns are frustrating, as there is absolutely no truth to the claims being made. In fact, they are far from the reality as related to UNICEF or the U.S. Fund.
The compensation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff mirrors the level of responsibility and professional expertise unique to each person’s role and does not impede UNICEF’s ability to deliver services and programs for children and their families. With an annual budget of over $390 million, the U.S. Fund’s President & CEO salary represents one ninth of one percent of the U.S. Fund’s annual resources.
The U.S. Fund’s Board of Directors determines the compensation of its President & CEO, who is compensated well within the range of other non-profit organizations of comparable size. (In fact, the compensation provided to the U.S. Fund’s President & CEO typically ranks in the bottom third of all CEO salaries for NY-based nonprofit organizations.)
For more information please visit: http://www.unicefusa.org/about/faq/is-it-true-that-your-ceo.html