News and Events

We were happy to once again fulfill a Grant request for Arizona Crisis Team. ACT’s volunteer advocates provide emotional, practical and resource assistance to citizens who have been impacted by any type of crisis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They respond on-scene when notified by emergency agencies to traumatic incidents such as sexual assault, homicide, robberies, natural or accidental death, suicide or attempted suicide, drowning, domestic violence, house fire, loss of loved ones and serious injury accidents. In 2021, approximately 50 ACT volunteers served almost 1300 clients in Yavapai County. They responded to more than 650 calls, 70% of which involved a death. Average response time was 30 minutes, with calls lasting an average of about 2 hours.

We were happy to once again support Camp Good Days and Special Times, based out of Mendon, NY. Our Grant funds will be used to support repairs in their Recreational Facility in Yates County, NY which hosts children from Buffalo through Syracuse and beyond.

We are so proud to provide Grant funding to the National Council of Jewish Women in Lawrence, NY. Our funds will support NCJW’s Back 2 School project. Seven hundred underserved children, some who are disabled, and their parents/guardians will be invited to participate in the event. There are over 300 volunteers who help make this event a success. This event allows children to “shop” for new clothing (winter coats, sneakers, socks, underwear, pants, tops, pjs, school supplies, and toiletries) and goods at no cost to them. While the children “shop” the parents/guardians are invited to the resource room where health screenings and educational information are available. A child who has new clothing and new school supplies is well equipped to begin school in the fall. This often translates into a more positive approach to the learning experience and increases the chances the child will consistently and regularly attend school. The aim is to educate, empower, improve school attendance, and improve the quality of life for children and families.

We were delighted to return to The Book Fairies in Freeport, NY to provide Grant funding. Book Fairies sources and redistributes books to under-resourced communities on Long Island and NYC to provide equitable opportunities for children to learn, grow, and thrive.

We were happy to return to FDNY Foundation to present a Grant. Our funds will be used specifically in the FDNY’s Canine Investigations Unit. With our help, the unit now has five full-time canines that provide a 24 hour on-call service for the entirety of New York’s five boroughs.

We were delighted to return to Good Samaritan Hospital to fulfil a Grant request. Our funds will be used to start a new program at called ‘Food Insecurity Initiative at Good Samaritan Hospital Emergency Department’. This program will assist patients after they leave the hospital to make sure that they’re nutritionally sound after whatever treatment they received.

We were happy to fulfill a Grant request for Holiday Lake 4H Educational Center, located in Appomattox, VA. They have been in operation for over 80 years. Here we see participants investigate an aquatic ecosystem, collect macroinvertebrates, and determine the health of Holiday Lake and the surrounding creeks during an aquatic ecology class at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center. Second photo shows Jack Wagstaff, Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center’s Natural Resource Education (NRE) Coordinator, talks about forest ecology with campers during 4-H Summer Camp 2022. A lifelong lesson for the participants in appreciating the natural world around them.

We were happy to return to Volunteers For Wildlife, located in Locust Valley, NY. Our Grant will be used to support the nutritional needs and medical care given to injured/orphaned wildlife patients in their nursery in 2023. The majority (70%) of the approximately
2,300 patients admitted each year are babies and juveniles, and require specialized diets, trained staff to administer around-the-clock feedings, and careful attention to ensure their successful return to the wild.

We were happy to fulfill a Grant request to Journey To The Center of Hope in their inaugural year of operating. JTTCOH helps veterans, their families, and communities break the cycle of shame around mental illness by empowering people to dream, aspire, achieve and that there is still a lot of life and love to experience. Our funds will provide support for Veterans to cope with their PTSD through photography. Studies have confirmed that Veterans taking photographs while in recovery can improve personal reflection and organization of thinking, as well as promote recovery discussions, communication, social support, and sense of purpose.