Make an impact – provide housing and support to young people like Gianni this holiday season.

After aging out of foster care, Gianni found himself with no place to call home.  Facing homelessness while balancing work and college was difficult – Gianni struggled to figure out where he would sleep and what he would eat each day.  His challenges were compounded when the pandemic hit New York City in March. Gianni lost his job, and with no funds for a computer, was unable to keep up with remote classes.

The Foundling’s Supportive Housing program provided Gianni with the stability he needed to get back on track. The program, which is uniquely designed for those who find themselves in Gianni’s shoes, utilizes subsidized housing, skills coaching, and emotional support to help young adults work toward independence.  Not only did the program provide Gianni with an apartment to call his own, but his case planner helped him apply for benefits and secure a laptop from his university. “The Foundling eased my concerns about surviving, so I could focus on thriving,” he says.

Now living in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights in a safe and friendly community, Gianni has the resources to excel in his college studies, and the ability to focus on his passion: music production. He credits music with saving him emotionally, and with The Foundling’s support, he has the space to grow creatively. “I try to learn as many instruments and skills as I can,” he says. “It’s all a process.”

“I would not be where I am now if it wasn’t for The Foundling,” Gianni says. “Now, I see myself going to a 4-year college, playing sports, doing music. I see life now.”

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Watch Gianni share his experience in the video above!

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DID YOU KNOW: This year’s CARES Act makes a new charitable deduction available to taxpayers that do not itemize their deductions. Taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions may be able to deduct up to $300 for cash contributions.* *Please consult your accountant or financial advisor to learn more about the CARES Act and your eligibility.

Your support can help young adults like Gianni build a promising future. Join us in transforming the lives of our neighbors this holiday season.

Every year, The Foundling partners with 30,000 children, adults, and families as they strive to create transformational change in their own lives –this year, our neighbors need your help more than ever. Our New York and Puerto Rico communities were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. But through hardships and uncertainty, The Foundling has represented a source of strength and hope.

With help from our generous supporters we responded directly to new community needs, allowing those we serve to persevere and stand tall. But our work is not over. As new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our community, we have a long road ahead. This Giving Tuesday, you can be a hero for our neighbors, and help them continue to move forward and work to keep themselves and their families safe. The time to act is now.

Make a donation today. Your gift will bring immediate support to people like Rodney, who has blossomed thanks to the partnership of his Community Habilitation therapist and his Camp Felix counselors, despite the immense challenges faced by children with developmental disabilities during the pandemic.

Your gift of:

• $25 provides PPE for five children, adults, and families in our programs
• $100 provides a full day of Camp Felix fun for a young person
• $500 provides one month of weekly skills training and therapy for a person with a developmental disability

DID YOU KNOW: This year’s CARES Act makes a new charitable deduction available to taxpayers that do not itemize their deductions. Taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions may be able to deduct up to $300 for cash contributions.* *Please consult your accountant or financial advisor to learn more about the CARES Act and your eligibility.

P.S. Interested in other ways to support The Foundling? Visit AmazonSmile and choose The New York Foundling as your AmazonSmile charity. The Foundling will receive a portion of every dollar you spend – a simple way to give back as you shop online, at no cost to you!

Each September, cities and states across the country recognize and pay tribute to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Month. It’s a time when there’s greater attention and focus on members of this community, a celebration of their cultural norms and traditions, and a deeper understanding of how they communicate with one another.

For nearly 40 years, The New York Foundling has been one of the only specialized providers of family support and prevention programs for New York City’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Members of our staff who work with Deaf or Hard of Hearing children and adults are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), and in many cases, are also Deaf or Hard of Hearing themselves. The services we provide at The Foundling improve family relationships and dynamics, empower each person to be more independent and expressive in what they need to grow stronger, and help families and individuals advocate for services and support.

There’s a strong sense of community and belonging among those who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. A unique aspect of their culture is the tradition of giving someone a personal “name sign” instead of fingerspelling out the person’s name.

“A name sign can only be given by a Deaf person, or member of the Deaf community, and typically is meant to be representative of something specific about the individual,” says Anna Poiarkoff, Clinical Model Accessibility Coordinator for Deaf Services at The Foundling. In the video below, Anna shares the poignant story of how she received her name sign. We hope you’ll watch and be inspired to learn more about Deaf culture.

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For more information on The Foundling’s Deaf Services, check out our program page and our recent blog post: Our Work Continues: Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Families with Communication and Advocacy.