In the SpotlightAllison & Jim's Story Allison, the wife of a career Marine who had been on many tours of duty, knew that now that her husband was returning from Iraq she was going to need help. She realized that during his long absence, she and her children had clung to each other to keep the family going, and that it was going to be difficult for him to reintegrate himself back into the family. They needed him to be both father and husband, and she feared that now that he was coming home for good, all of them would have trouble getting readjusted.
Her husband, Jim, had shown impatience with his children when he was home on leave,  and seemed restless and out of sorts. He had witnessed civilian beheadings, death and suffered a mild head injury when his vehicle exploded and he lay unconscious on the streets of Bagdad for over 20 minutes. Allison loved Jim very much and her instincts told her that they and their children were going to need help to get the family back to where it had been before the war.
Allison and Jim's story is not uncommon on Long Island, which has the second largest concentration of veterans in the country. Often, veterans will feel displaced and out of rhythm with their old lives and turn to self-medication in the form of drugs and alcohol to ease their pain. These attempts can lead to a lifetime of addiction, isolation, and divorce. Most of the veterans that have come into Family & Children's
Veterans' Resource Center are veterans of the Vietnam War.
Lately, however, veterans from the Gulf War and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have begun to reach out for help. As the months and years pass, more of these young men and women are finding it necessary to deal with the aftermaths of war. Many, like Jim, have been exposed to atrocities that are difficult to process, even more are finding that they've experienced traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. Our Veterans' Resource Center has over 100 active clients at any given point in time. Both Jim and Allison have received supportive counseling from our program and the family is slowly but surely getting back on track. Jim attends our weekly PTSD and Anger Management groups, Allison is a member of the Spousal Support group. Shortly, they will enter family counseling with their children.
Family & Children's Veterans Resource Center is Nassau County's largest private program for vets and their families. We offer individual, group and family counseling as well as benefits assistance for veterans, their spouses and children. Our support groups, including PTSD and Anger Management groups, give veterans an outlet for sharing with others who've gone to war. Our Spouse Support group specifically assists the partners of vets. We also have a Family Therapist available to meet with the entire family. All sessions are confidential and our staff are experienced, trained, and empathic professionals.
If you or someone you know needs help with post-war recovery, please contact our Veterans Resource Center at (516)935-6858 or email Geryl Pecora at gpecora@familyandchildrens.org.
To help fund these veterans' services, please click here and designate "veterans home" from the gift designation list.
Click here for a listing of 911 memorial observances by state.
Grants, Honors & Awards JP Morgan Chase has generously donated $25,000 in support of our Village of Hempstead Initiative. This money will go toward early-education intervention, student enrichment and intergenerational programs to help families in need succeed! Pictured here is Vinford Mentar, Vice President, Global Philanthropy with Nancy Cohan and a camper from our Summer to Remember program.
The Best Buy Children's Foundation is sponsoring our Promise Project with a $5,000 grant to help the program enrich the lives of pre-teens and teens from Hempstead's Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School. The teens promise to attend daily after-school classes and we promise to help them achieve educational excellence. It's a win-win situation! Special thanks goes to store manager Peter Conway of the Best Buy located on Old Country Road in Westbury.
The Brooke Jackman Foundation donated 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to our kids in memory of Brooke Jackman, who perished during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Brooke was a young woman who loved children and the foundation established in her name carries on her legacy with funding and gifts to children in need.
 The Rotary Club of Williston Park provided sunscreen, sun exposure information and $250 in support of our Summer to Remember program. Pictured here are Judy Holsgrove of the Rotary Club and her daughter Donna Impagliazzo of Dreyfus Brokerage Services. Thanks Judy and Donna!
AROUND THE AGENCY Two of our senior clients whose homes were in dire need of repair received help from volunteers from Trinity Lutheran Church in Hicksville. These angels visited the seniors' homes and repaired walkways, cleared backyards, painted rooms, repaired a garage, and gardened. Thank you to Danny Publiese, Eddie Waldeck, Donald Jansson, John Quinn, Jeannie Cichinsky, Nancy Cecere, Lauren Fix, Lou Johnson, Kathy Funfgeld, Rita Sharkey, Steve Hyland, Tim O'Hare, Jackie O'Hare, Robin O'Hare, and Lynn Waldeck, some of whom are pictured here with a very grateful senior.
 We are forming a Family & Children's Senior Fundraising Task Group to enhance programs and services we provide to struggling seniors during today's difficult, economic climate. Pictured here at the first meeting are volunteers: (sitting) Ray Samorodin, Carol Rucker, Anne McNeil, Marilyn E. Odol, (standing) Daria Johannesen, program director, Jack Crowley, Debra Olson, Gold Kanner, Amy Hanover, and Lorna Strachen. If you are interested in helping, contact Daria Johannesen at djohannesen@familyandchildrens.org.
An inter-generational cookbook was created by our middle school students involved in the Promise Project. The students interviewed a cross-section of residents from the Village of Hempstead and published their stories and recipes in this fun, heart-warming cookbook. Click here to see recipes.
The Wall of Hope committee continues its efforts to erect a new handball court and memorial on the grounds of Hempstead High School in memory of Michael Alguera. Fifteen year-old Michael was tragically killed on the school's crumbling handball court last January and the committee, comprised of many of the community's stakeholders, is working tirelessly to erect a new court as soon as possible. In addition to creating a wholesome environment for area children to play, the committee's goal is also to organize a new intramural handball program within the district. Upon completion of the court, an opening celebration and a handball demonstration are being planned. If you would like to participate in this effort or make donations to help fund the construction of the court, please contact Philip M. Mickulas @ 516-746-0350.
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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
9/11/08 - Memorial Events
9/20/08 - Shop for a Cause
9/22/08 - Family Day
11/22/08 - Save the Date for our Annual ThanksGiving Ball
Your Vote Counts!
Click here to access the NYS Board of Elections website for voter registration information. Every vote counts!
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The mission of Family & Children's Association is to protect and strengthen Long Island's most vulnerable children, seniors, families, and communities. We offer assistance to those who are experiencing social, emotional and economic challenges. |
Family & Children's Association e-newsletter is made available to our friends, sponsors, donors, volunteers and employees for informational purposes only. The information contained in this communication is not intended as advice or to take the place of professional counseling. (c) 2008 Family & Children's Association - All rights reserved.
100 E. Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501 | (516)746-0350
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