Thanks & Giving
The World of Song Children’s Benefit Concert Founded in 2001
Kids Helping Kids
World of Song (WOS) is committed to giving back to the community and teaching young children the importance of helping others. It continues to be a very meaningful experience for me producing and performing in this concert for charity, during the holiday season, since dedicating the first one to the “Victims of 911 Families” back in December of 2001 while living in NYC.
At the heart of it is the vision of “kids helping kids”, giving little ones a chance to participate, share, and discover how even small acts of generosity can create a ripple effect. Through music, creativity, and community, children learn that giving is something we can all be a part of, and that kindness, gratitude, and love can truly make a difference in each other’s lives.
“Thank & Giving”, the ‘World of Song Children's Holiday Benefit Concert’ has historically taken place annually in late November or early December. Parents, grandparents, caregivers attend the 90 minute or 2-hour event with their children. Families enjoy a joyful program that includes a live musical concert, lots of audience participation, storytelling, arts & craft time, refreshments, and sharing with others. Funds are raised through an admission fee for the performance and activities, and may include other sale items and/or raffles. Proceeds go to the organization to help achieve their mission and support their goals.
The event strives to bring the publics' s attention to smaller 501(c)3’s within their local communities. (see below) Each charity selected is dedicated specifically to serving the needs of children, and their families, in a variety of ways: food and life essentials, crisis interventions, educational and artistic opportunities, school supplies, housing, therapeutic healing and social services, research on illness or disease, medical treatment and so much more.
I am very grateful to all the performers and musicians over the years who have generously offered their talents and time, the venue sites that have often donated their spaces, or offered other kinds of support to this cause. Thank you.
Love and Light, Allison
“It is love that awakens the spirit of ‘thanks & giving’! WOS celebrates life and the awareness of the healing effect music has to lift us up at any moment whatever our circumstances, while connecting children to caring for their community. ”
2026 marks WOS’s partnership with the Park Ave Community Center and The Creative Living Room as the home base for this event to continue into the future.
Join us for our 2026 Event
Thank You for Supporting Delco Helping Hands
Climb aboard the Music Train for a joyful family celebration of music, gratitude, and giving!
Join singer/songwriter/children’s entertainer Allison DeSalvo of World of Song & Friends for the 18th “Thanks & Giving” Children’s Benefit Concert for Delco Helping Hands. Clap, stamp, sing, and dance along with Allison, accompanied by Derek Chafin on guitar and Joanna Justice on percussion, as they journey through traditional favorites, folk songs, and original tunes celebrating the season. Enjoy playful, animal puppets, make-believe surprises, and a “make one to give / take one home” fall crafts, food and fun. At the heart of it all, children will discover the joy of giving as they come together to help other children and families in our community. Proceeds benefit Delco Helping Hands, supporting Delaware County children and families by providing essential needs, compassionate outreach and much, much more.
Saturday, November 14, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Park Avenue Community Center, 129 Park Ave, Swarthmore 19081
Geared to ages 2–7, but all are welcome!
Tickets: $30/family or $10/person; infants free.
Reservations requested. Includes concert, crafts, food and fun for a great cause!
This is a special 2nd Saturday Family Fun Event! Your support gets ‘kids helping kids’ in the community and keeps this tradition going year to year.
Past Beneficiaries
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Delco Helping Hands is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to help the Delaware County, PA community families. DHH provides assistance with baby/children, pets, and adult necessities. They organize community outreaches to help families with holidays and big events in their kids lives. DHH offesr access to community connections, the sharing of local resources and much more. www.delcohelpinghands.org
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The “Thanks & Giving” holiday concert will be moving forward under the umbrella of the Park Avenue Community Center in Swarthmore in fall of 2026. WOS will continue to select local beneficiaries, sponsor, design and curate the event as an annual fundraiser in support of its original mission of helping children and families in need.
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Working to uplift kinship* and grandfamilies* by providing emotional support, advocating for better legislation and by providing a resource for their immediate needs. *Kinship and grandfamilies are families raising minor family members due to many circumstances, including the opioid epidemic, mental health, death, and illness.
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www.nohungrykid.org - 2021 ~ ONLINE EVENT DUE TO COVID CONDITIONS!
According to the latest estimates, as many as 13 million children in the United States live in "food insecure" homes. The number of children living with hunger had fallen steadily over the past decade, but the coronavirus pandemic dealt a terrible blow. No Kid Hungry works to ensure that every child in the United States has access to healthy food where they live, where they learn and where they play. Give $10 and help connect a kid in need with 100 meals. Learn More
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https://www.facebook.com/delco.pa.food
Family & Community Service of Delaware County www.fcdc.org FCSCD seeks to build stronger communities through healthy, empowered individuals and families in collaboration with DIFAN, a network of currently 10 Food Centers throughout Delaware County and 7 Outreach Centers supporting children and families suffering from food scarcity during Covid 19 Pandemic.
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www.cityteam.org
Lives are being transformed with the help of local volunteers and donors meeting the needs of more than 500,000 people that come to CityTeam in need of help each year! It starts with a meal and leads to new lives for the men, women, and children who find food, shelter, and hope within the doors of their local CityTeam. -
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The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
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www.campenc.com
Supporting children and youth grieving the loss of a loved one by death, divorce or imprisonment by providing a camp experience that offers emotional support nurturing healing and growth within in a safe, caring community. -
www.anabelleswish.org
Helping children and families struggling with lissencephaly and /or other rare neurological conditions. -
www.centerforautismresearch.com or
http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/car/
Collaboration effort between The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania understand the causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and develop effective treatments through research with infants through adults. -
www.theniacenterofchester.com
Providing underserved children, families and adults in Chester, Pa with artistic, cultural and education opportunities, mentoring, internships of teens, families and support of seniors. -
Funding economically disadvantaged children of SWSD enrichment after-school activities and mentoring.
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Supporting research to cure this debilitating genetic disorder that causes fundamental challenges to daily living, developmental delays and seizures.
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Seeking prevention of domestic violence while providing services that meet the needs of its victims.
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Providing a safe haven and life skills training and job opportunities for homeless pregnant women.
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Empowering impoverished children through enrichment experiences that promote values, education, respect for self, others and community.
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Nonprofit cultural service organization helping underserved audiences to access and experience arts programming especially those with psychological, economic and social challenges.
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Striving to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment for all children despite race, religion or a family's ability to pay.
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Focuses on preventing and alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors to meet people's immediate needs caused by disaster.
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Life took over; helping my future mother-in-law move from her home of 40+ years into a retirement community, her subsequent diagnosis with Alzhiemers, preparation for my wedding and marriage in the fall ’03, then moving into a new apartment, and... a year later in fall ’04 moving once again permanently from NY to PA to help take care of my mother-in-law and be closer to her. That fall I finally settled into my new life in the suburbs of Philadelphia and began getting to know my community and sharing my work with children.
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Focuses on preventing and alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors to meet people's immediate needs caused by disaster.