Two NJ kids who lost both parents need our help

There are so many appeals for our help everywhere today. You'll see well-produced ads on TV and online for very worthy charities for children's hospitals or animal welfare and on and on. It's hard for compassionate people to decide if or where or how much to give. When there are people right here in our backyard that need our help, through no fault of their own, it's hard to ignore.

There are two kids from Cherry Hill who lost their parents within the span of a few months to illness. Their mom died and lost her long battle with breast cancer in February. Just a few months earlier, their dad died from heart failure. Their insurance ran out and in July their house caught fire and was deemed uninhabitable.

James and Mariah are in their third temporary living arrangement, staying with the family of James' middle school friend. His sister Mariah is working a full-time entry-level job at a law firm while finishing up classes at Rowan University. She is the legal guardian for her little brother.

If any two kids in our area could use a hand and get a break, it's these two beautiful young people.

If you want to read their whole story and find it in your heart to give what you can, here is their GoFundMe page.

These are tough times for a lot of people, but many still find it in their hearts to help others when they really need it if they can.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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