LIGHT For Charity: Family And Children’s Association

In this new column of L.I.G.H.T. FOR CHARITY™ (my acronym for ‘Long Island Giving Help Together For Charity’), I shine a light on a Long Island-based charity named the Family & Children’s Association (FCA). Based in Garden City, FCA is a 501(c)(3) organization that strives to make all of Long Island a better place to live, work and raise a family.
FCA provides help and hope to Long Island’s most vulnerable families, children, seniors, individuals and communities. It does this by providing a wide range of impactful programs and services across many areas of important need. FCA’s operations include programs in the areas of (1) substance use and addiction services; (2) mental health; (3) senior and adult services; (4) youth services; (5) patient support; (6) immigrant resources; (7) community outreach and support; and (8) residential / emergency shelter.
Examples of FCA’s specific programs include: (1) a licensed outpatient program that provides counseling for those struggling with alcohol or drug use; (2) a “Children’s Mental Health & Wellness Division”, through which FCA offers a wide array of services designed to promote the health and wellness of children and their families; (3) a team of Certified Recovery Peer Advocates trained to meet with individuals and families within hospitals and the community who are struggling with substance use disorder; (4) helping senior citizens find ways to live with dignity, safety and independence, through offering Alzheimer’s caregiver support programs, elder abuse prevention services, senior in-home assistance and nursing home advocacy; (5) support for individuals with mental and/or behavioral health issues and their families, through therapy services, rehabilitation services and family peer support services provided through support groups, individualized action plans, home visits and other more tailored solutions; and (6) an Immigrant Resource Center with helpline counselors providing referrals to food pantries, immigration resources, case management and short-term counseling, with services available in both English and Spanish. All of these are only some examples of FCA’s services.
It’s truly amazing to see how one organization provides so many valuable services across so many areas. All of these services help achieve the FCA’s official mission which is: “to protect and strengthen Long Island’s most vulnerable families, children, seniors, individauls and communities”, and official vision: “a Long Island where a legacy of optimal health, educational success, and economic security passes from one generation to the next.”
To help support FCA, you can visit the FCA’s website at www.fcali.org.