Last Monday, December 5th, was Volunteer Day – a time to come together and make a difference. This year volunteers got together at our Suffolk County Child Advocacy Center to create holiday cards for our kids. Our children’s programs serve at-risk youth that usually struggle this time of year. We wanted to give them some holiday cheer and hope these cards will let them know that they are loved.
After 4 years as the Program Director of Nassau Supervised Visitation (NSV), I am as enthusiastic about the program as I was on day one. I’m still thrilled by the smiles and running of children into the visiting room as they greet their parents. The loud noises and the kids’ delight when they see the array of toys all over the visiting room floor makes me think we are doing something right.
It is difficult at times to feel like we can make a difference. We feel overwhelmed by the negative events we hear about in the news and think there is little we can do to help. However, when we have the ability to make an impact, no matter how small, it’s imperative to act. Making a difference doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, and it’s true, no problem can be solved instantaneously. We have to work together. Helping others starts with spreading kindness. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.
O.J. is just like you. He is a hard-working father of three who recently went through a tough time. Our Nassau Supervised Visitation program was able to reunite O.J. with his children. Listen to a special message from O.J. about his experience.
I would do anything for my children. They are my world. I have three young daughters, who, as you can probably imagine, can be quite a handful sometimes. However, I wouldn’t trade them for anything, because I know what it’s like to live without them.
Media plays a large role in the lives of youth, who are a heavily targeted demographic for advertisers. We want our young adults to be aware of the media’s influence in their lives as well as the power they have to create their own media. To protect our youth and encourage media literacy education, we started a three-week media literacy seminar series called Connect Smart.
Children in the foster care system travel between guardians with little to no possessions and often carry their bare necessities in plastic trash bags. We unfortunately see the heartbreaking circumstances of these children in our Chance to Advance and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs, which reduce risk factors for youth in foster care by providing mentors and educational activities. Every child deserves love and dignity. Luckily, they have real life heroes who are coming to their aid.
Halloween is a spooky, magical, fun-filled day. We all want our kids to have fun and be safe. Follow our guidelines to have a great Halloween!
The Global Slavery Index estimates that 45.8 million people are currently enslaved in some form. Modern slavery consists of human trafficking for physical labor or sex. The victims include women, young girls and boys, and LGBTQ youth, who are often lured or forced into prostitution. We may think modern slavery only takes place in faraway lands, but it’s happening right here, right now.
According to the CDC, 96% of parents and/or caregivers believe that they have properly installed their child’s car safety seat. In reality, seven out of ten children are improperly restrained in a passenger vehicle. These conflicting statistics shed light on the need for prevalent child safety seat education programs.
Special Thanks
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