Parents want to do right by their children. Unfortunately, not all have the means to do so. That’s where the Green Angels come in. This upstate New York charity collects financial and in-kind donations from generous donors, like Annamaria Kontor, using the proceeds to provide an array of basic equipment and accessories for the region’s neediest children (and parents):

• Crib mattresses and bedding
• Backpacks
• Books
• Pens, pencils and paper
• Child-safe toys
• Clothing
• Other common items that every child needs

If you’re looking for a worthy cause that supports the most innocent members of society, give whatever you can to the Green Angels. Your contribution won’t go to waste.

Childhood vaccinations have taken up a lot of media bandwidth lately. Thanks to high-profile celebrities who’ve called the ostensibly settled practice of routine vaccination into question, many parents have opted not to provide this basic protection for their children. Unfortunately, vaccinations exist for a reason: They prevent serious, sometimes life-threatening diseases that can be — at minimum — expensive and stressful to treat. If you have young children, don’t listen to the myths: Multiple vaccinations won’t overwhelm your child’s immune system, herd immunity won’t protect your child, and vaccines don’t cause autism or other disorders. While no vaccine is 100% safe, the benefits of protecting children from potentially deadly infectious diseases far outweigh the potential risks associated with the immunizations. Just ask your pediatrician.

Who is Dr. Annamaria Kontor?

Most residents of Rochester, New York, know her as a respected pediatrician. It’s certainly true that she’s made a name for herself in the medical field, first in Michigan, later in Mississippi, and now in upstate New York. But that’s just one element of Dr. Kontor’s persona. There’s another, even purer side of her that many don’t see…

A Holistic Healer By Day…

Dr. Kontor’s “day job” as a pediatrician brings her into contact with a broad cross-section of Rochester-area families. She’s proud to employ a particular brand of holistic medicine at her practice: Instead of treating every last symptom of every little ailment, she focuses on remediating the root causes of ailments and ensuring that her young patients remain on track for a healthful, happy existence.

Dr. Kontor also lends her talents to the next generation of healers. As a preceptor for the University of Rochester Medical School, a part-time but still critical volunteer position, she conveys hard-won knowledge and experience that students can only absorb by working with someone who’s seen it all.

…A Charity Maven by Night (and Weekend)

When the working day is over, it’s rare to see Dr. Kontor head straight home and put her feet up. The other side of Dr. Kontor — the one most patients and their parents never see — is no less compassionate than her healing persona. She’s proud to devote her time and resources to the unique organizations that make her adopted home a great place to live and work.

National Ski Patrol

If you’re a fan of cheesy teen comedies from the 80s, you probably have a distorted impression of what the Ski Patrol does. It’s not all apres-ski parties, daredevil races and fights to see who gets the girl. Rather, the Ski Patrol performs an absolutely crucial function that keeps North America’s slopes safe for John Skier and Jane Snowboarder.

As an expert skier herself, Dr. Kontor is proud to serve alongside the Ski Patrol’s consummate professionals, keeping kids (and parents) out of harm’s way — which isn’t all that different from what she does at her day job, come to think of it.

Vaccination Awareness

Dr. Kontor’s passion for vaccination awareness somewhat blurs the line between her professional and personal lives. As a committed advocate for preventive medicine, including childhood vaccination, she has spoken informally at local pro-vaccination gatherings and routinely supports causes aligned with her beliefs. She’s not afraid to call out misinformation and fearmongering when she sees it, either.

Center for Refugee Health

As an immigrant with multicultural background, Dr. Kontor understands the pressures and plights faced by newcomers to the United States. That’s why she attends the North American Refugee Health Conference and supports the Center for Refugee Health, an organization dedicated to ensuring that refugees — the most vulnerable of America’s newcomers — have every health-related opportunity available to native-born sons and daughters.

The Green Angels

The Green Angels is a unique, Rochester area group that has a simple mission: to provide basic supplies to each and every one of the region’s children, regardless of parents’ means. The organization collects items and uses financial donations to purchase everything from bedding and backpacks to pencils and books, supporting kids at every stage of their development. Because of the Green Angels, countless children in Wayne County have opportunities for success that simply wouldn’t have been available before.

Supporting Women’s Health

Dr. Kontor is also an avid supporter of women’s health organizations like Emily’s List and Planned Parenthood. As a medical professional, she understands the importance of proper education and choice around reproductive matters and believes that information is the best weapon for fighting sexual assault, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted illnesses.

Some might look at Dr. Kontor’s schedule and wonder how she possibly has time to fit it all in. Others might marvel at the breadth and depth of her charitable engagements and wonder what exactly it is that ties her disparate interests together.

While understandable, such efforts miss the point. Dr. Kontor has a highly varied schedule of charitable engagements because she cares deeply about her adopted community and wants the best for each and every person — regardless of background, creed or persuasion — who calls it home.