Five volunteers from Davidson, Maneri & Associates, a private practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., rolled up their sleeves to organize our food pantry, which provides nutritious food for people living with HIV/AIDS through our Nutrition Education and Food Services program.
Programs
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.
Our Division Director of New York City Services, Amanda Arcuri, recently attended the Samaritan Daytop Foundation Gala where former NBA All Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Chris Mullin, former NBA player Chris Herren, and Eric Hadar, Chairman and CEO of Allied Partners, were honored for their dedication to help others battle addictions through effective and necessary treatment.
We recently attended the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of Darkness Community Walk on October 23rd and heard the heart wrenching stories of those who have lost loved ones to suicide, as well as the hopeful perspectives of survivors. Given the large impact suicide has had on Long Islanders, we think it’s time to address it.