Senior Care program office. Her home was becoming too much for her to manage, too many stairs and too many chores. She wondered what her options were and what steps were involved in finding a smaller place to live yet maintaining her independent lifestyle. Rhoda, like many of Long Island's seniors, does not have family living close-by to assist her in the next phase of her life. She may not have immediate family close by, but she does have Family & Children's. (pictured here is Rhoda Milbee with case worker Liticia Clarke)

Thanks to a $50,000 grant from The Fay J. Lindner Foundation, a continuous supporter of our Fay J. Lindner Senior Care Programs for almost 20 years, we now have the funding to enhance our Senior Wellness and our Bill Paying programs. The foundation's president Robert M. Goldberg considers Family & Children's a valued partner in caring for Long Island's elderly neighbors. According to Mr. Goldberg, "making a contribution is an investment. The investment in Family & Children's has paid dividends beyond what one can expect." Our Fay J. Lindner Senior Care Programs impact 10,000 older people on Long Island each year through a broad range of programs to ensure their safety, self-determination and independence. The goal of our programs is to enable seniors to live independently in comfort and safety while maintaining physical and emotional health.

We help seniors maintain their independence, for as long as possible.

Our Senior Wellness program provides homebound counseling to seniors who may be experiencing emotional or mental health problems. Our counselors and volunteers provide guidance and companionship to all clients, which reduces the stress and loneliness that plague seniors who find themselves living alone without a support system. Are they thriving? Are they maintaining their homes? Are they getting proper nutrition? We assess their mental and physical condition making recommen-dations for additional counseling or enrolling them in senior nutrition programs, or arranging for home-delivered meals. Our services include: financial and health insurance counseling, reverse mortgage counseling, bill paying services, mental health counseling, case management, housing and home care.

By reaching out to these valued members of our community, we are able to engage them in the work that we do and in the good that's being done in their communities. Recently, we were able to connect 4 seniors to suitable volunteer opportunities in their Nassau County communities - giving them a sense of purpose and joy that can only come from helping others.

Want to get involved in Senior Wellness Programs? Join our trained group of volunteers as either "Friendly Visitors" who are companions to the seniors and provide regular home visits and telephone calls, "Ombudspeople" who regularly visit and advocate for seniors who reside in nursing or assisted living facilities, or "Community Guardians" who help those seniors who become incapacitated and require someone to take care of their personal & financial needs.

Seniors are an important part of any family and they deserve our support. Contact Daria Johannesen at djohannesen@familyandchildrens.org to get involved with seniors in your area or to help fund these worthwhile programs.

Grants, Honors & Awards

Newsday Charities provided a $30,000 grant in support of our Summer to Remember camp program. Camp is just about to begin, so please consider helping these young people by giving now. Pictured here is Newsday Charities' Dale Cole with Family & Children's CEO Jim Harnett and Board Chairman Bernie Kennedy.

Middle School students from Friends Academy conducted their annual walk-a-thon and raised close to $28,000 to help fund programs dedicated to helping needy Long Islanders, especially fellow teenagers who may be struggling with difficult family issues or homelessness. Pictured here at the check presentation are students and CEO Jim Harnett.

Girl Scout Troops 1527 and 1093 of Elmont donated 3 tickets to Camel Back Beach in the Poconos to Family & Children's client Ingrid and her children Rosie and Kenney. The trip included round-trip bus transportation and admission to the park. Both mom and kids had a splashing good time.

Congratulations to our artists who where recognized for their talent on Friday at the 1st Annual Art Expressions Exhibit For Kids at Hofstra University. Awards and Ribbons went to: Ashley for "A Flower in Bloom", Stephanie for "Happy Day", Alyssa for "Puppies", Crystal for "True Fan", Davon for "Beautiful Has Arrived", James for "Me", Joseph for "Grow and Corn", Vanessa for "My Family." In addition our Main Street Drummers: Courtney, Raymond, Justin, Anthony and Joe, gave a virtuoso drum and plastic can performance lead by their teacher and drummer extraordinaire, Mike Veny. A special word of thanks to Christine Miller and Joanne DelaPaz for serving on the organizing committee.

Family Ties' Donna Teichner has been selected by Commissioner John Imhof to become a member of the new Department of Social Services Quality Management Committee. The Committee is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of individuals who were all selected due to their strong leadership skills and their commitment to providing quality services to the consumers of Nassau County Social Services.

AROUND THE AGENCY

Six seniors from the John F. Kennedy High School Senior Experience program volunteered for 3-weeks of hands-on community service. From May 28th to June 12th, these teens helped clean and beautify our runaway shelter, our temporary housing and our family center. They cleaned, swept, and organized the attics and sheds, they planted flower, vegetable gardens and a pumpkin patch, they categorized a children's library and they solicited donations for sports equipment from area retailers, all to help the displaced teens who live in our shelters and residences. Zak Bloom, Drew Skolnik, Jeff Goldstein, Lauren Sadowsky, David Goodman, Jack Azus, along with program coordinator Brad Seidman gave of their time and themselves. Pictured here with Nicole Rosow, Director of the Hagedorn Family Resource Center are our wonderful volunteers. Thank you and good luck next year in college!

Walkabout II in Uniondale had an OPEN HOUSE on June 19, 2008 to celebrate the re-opening of our temporary shelter for young men and women. Located in Uniondale, this transitional housing serves homeless adolescents from 16 – 20 years of age with short-term shelter and services for up to 18 months, preparing them for independent living. Residents are required to meet house rules, actively plan for their future by working or going to school, and contribute to the well-being of their fellow residents. Pictured here are Bill Best, Andrea Tine, Vanessa Nank, and Katrina Roker.

Two of our programs celebrated the end of the school year in style. Pictured here are graduates of La Escuelita, our dual language Pre-K program and Youth Advisory Council members with area senior citizens at the 2nd Annual Senior/Senior Prom. Both programs are part of our commitment to the children, seniors, families and community of the Village of Hempstead.

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Board of Trustees

Officers
Chair: Bernie Kennedy
Vice Chair: H. Richard Grafer
Vice Chair: John D. Miller
Treasurer: Drew Crowley
Secretary: Delores V. Smalls
Past Chair: Daniel Brown
CEO: Jim Harnett
Members of the Board

Upcoming Events
7/16/08 - Christmas in July Networking Event
10/23/08 - Veteran's Health Alliance Conference
10/25/08 - National Make A Difference Day
11/22/08 - Save the Date for our Annual ThanksGiving Ball