In the Spotlight:
Meeting Life's Challenges
In this time of economic turmoil, we've been reading about the numbers of homes being lost to foreclosure. Would it surprise you to learn that a quarter of these foreclosures happen to older citizens? According to a report from the AARP Public Policy Institute, older Americans have been significantly affected. "The common belief is that older adults have either paid off their homes or have significant equity in their homes, but AARP's report indicates that 28 percent of all delinquencies and foreclosures in America involve homeowners over 50 years of age."
Some seniors are meeting life's challenges directly by being realistic about their current needs and trying new living arrangements that make sense in today's economy. Meet Pat Snowden, a senior who decided to improve not only her own life, but that of a young man from a far away village.
Pat Snowden is a resident of Sea Cliff, whose lovely home had rooms to share since her children were now adults and on their own. She thought perhaps a house-mate could introduce some new energy and ideas into her life, as well as provide additional income. She wondered how she might go about finding the right person...
Domingos Maria  is a Fulbright Scholar who is traveling to Long Island's NY Institute of Technology from his home on the tiny island of East Timor (Timor-Leste). His dream is to come to Long Island to attend college. He wondered how he would find a safe, affordable place to live...
Thanks to our Home Share/Long Island program, Pat and Domingos are now housemates!
Home Share/Long Island links senior home owners who have extra room in their homes with adults who need an affordable place to live. Like Pat and Domingos, both homeowners and home seekers find a solution to their housing problems. Program coordinators work day in and day out to successfully match home seekers with home owners all over Nassau County. Not all home seekers travel half way around the globe to participate; many of them are simply young people who wish to stay on Long Island but are finding it financially difficult to do so.
Home owners also wish to remain on Long Island, however, their motivations for sharing their homes are as varied as the individuals who participate. Some wish to break up the monotony that often accompanies solitary living, while others find comfort and security in having another adult around the house.
Domingos' long term goal is to return to his country, which has been ravaged by violence and instability following its democratic decision to separate from Indonesia. During and after East Timor's independence referendum in 1999, 1400 East Timorese were murdered, 75% of the nation's infrastructure was destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Timorese were displaced. Domingos will return to his country in two years, but for now thanks to the hospitality and flexibility of Pat Snowden, he has a warm and wonderful home to return to each day after his studies at NYIT. Pat comments that she always wanted to join the Peace Corps, and now by having Domingos with her, she feels that in some small way she has.
If you would like to learn more about Home Share/LI, visit our website or contact Dolores Tibbets at dtibbets@familyandchildrens.org. If you would like to contribute financial support to our programs for seniors, click here.
Grants, Honors & Awards
 A special plaque was dedicated at our Hagedorn Family Resource Center in memory of Martha Gerry, recognizing her lifetime of commitment to the children and families of Long Island. Her tireless devotion was a labor of love, and brought about profound change in the lives and education of our clients and their children. The plaque stands as a testament to her remarkable life.
Mr. Ken Katz, former trustee of Children's House, celebrated his 80th  birthday with friends and family. In lieu of gifts, Mr. Katz requested that donations be made to our shelter for runaway kids "Nassau Haven". We are grateful to receive gifts in honor of our friend and long-time supporter. If you would like to convey a meaningful message to honor a special occasion (birthday, graduation, birth of a child, bar/bat mitzvah, promotion, holiday, etc.) or to memorialize the loss of a loved one, Family & Children's Tribute Program is an ideal way to express your sentiments. Donations can be mailed or made online and all gifts are immediately acknowledged to the honoree or family with our new community of caring card, along with a thank you to the donor. For more information, contact Mary Chiz (516)746-0350 x336.
 Members of the ThanksGiving Ball committee joined together to plan a fabulous evening of music, dancing, dining, and surprises. Be sure to join us on November 22nd at the Garden City Hotel. Click here for details. Committee members pictured here are (front row) Carol K. Wessel, Honoree Bernard P. Kennedy, Rosanne Scordio, Thomas K. Cullen (back row) H. Richard Grafer, Tim Schurmann, and Jim Harnett.
AROUND THE AGENCY
 Linda Mauro, Manager of Volunteer Services, was invited to a special White House event hosted by President George W. Bush honoring America's volunteers. During his remarks, the President renewed his call for Americans to devote 4,000 hours over their lifetime in service to our country. Pictured here is Linda Mauro with Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy who will be honored with our "Champion for Children" award at our ThanksGiving Ball on November 22nd.
- Want to get involved? How about taking part in our "Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays" program? It's simple, it's fun and it's rewarding: We'll give you a wish list from the family – you can either purchase some or all of the items on the list. If you don't have time to shop, you can make a monetary donation and our group of volunteers will shop for you. Many of the wish list items are necessary staples such as food, clothing, baby supplies and household items. Click here for more details.
When you take part in our Adopt-a-Family program, you'll receive the greatest gift of all – the gift of joy that comes from helping others. To learn how you can adopt a family, please contact Angela Mangiaracina at amangiaracina@familyandchildrens.org or (516) 746-0350 x367.
- The National Grid Community Volunteers - Lamplighters again donated an overwhelming amount of items to Walkabout last week (clothing, household items, bedding, new carpet remnants). Special thanks to our friends from National Grid.
- Andrea Tine of Walkabout presented at the 20th Annual Keys for the Homeless Conference on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at Touro Law School, Central Islip, New York.
- Students involved in our Promise Project summer camp program received accolades from US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for their successful completion of the "Summer of Promise."
- A kick-off celebration for the Wall of Hope Memorial Handball Court was held recently to unveil the plans for the construction of this memorial honoring Michael Alguera. Michael, a 15-year old student who was tragically killed on the site of Hempstead High School's current handball court, is being remembered through a community-wide effort to build a better, safer environment for all students at the high school. Family & Children's has been involved in the fundraising effort and we welcome your help. Visit www.familyandchildrens.com/donate and select "Wall of Hope" under the comment section to contribute to the completion of this memorial.
- Recently, President Bush approved a bill improving coverage on mental health, substance use disorders. Contained within the controversial Wall Street bailout package—as it's commonly referred to in the media—signed by President George W. Bush Friday, Oct. 3, are several measures championed by the Alliance for Children & Families' public policy office that affect organizations like ours that provide mental health-related services. To read more, visit Alliance for Children & Families.
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Attend our ThanksGiving Ball!
Click here for details on our November 22nd gala honoring board chairman Bernie Kennedy. Join us for a night to remember!
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
Your Vote Counts! |
