Blog Archives - Page 14 of 39 - The New York Foundling

Camp Felix’s 2022 Season was a Success!

Since 2006, Camp Felix – our overnight summer camp – has provided a safe space for those in our programs to explore, grow, and learn. As our experts have stated, camp provides an invaluable opportunity for children and teenagers to navigate social interactions, learn to problem solve, get physical exercise, and have new experiences. For young people in the child welfare system, camp also provides an opportunity to get away from the pressures of their daily lives – and to simply be a kid.

Even during the height of the pandemic, we never stopped providing camp magic for the young people we serve: we created the virtual Camp Felix @ Home in 2020, and hosted a limited half-capacity season in 2021. These were wonderful experiences that allowed our campers to enjoy activities and camaraderie while staying safe and healthy – yet nothing can compare to the experience of staying in a cabin away from home, participating in a variety of activities, and bonding with fellow campers.

This year, we’re proud to share that Camp Felix has returned to its former glory, with a full camp season serving 140 campers!

Because camp was held at a new location this year – Camp Linwood MacDonald in New Jersey – Camp Felix campers were able to enjoy the amenities and perks of a larger campsite. Campers used their journalism skills to publish a newsletter for the first time, and had the opportunity to try new on-site activities, such as lake swimming, kayaking, ziplining, fishing, archery, rock climbing, and more!

Camp Felix’s annual Open House – where Foundling staff and stakeholders tour the grounds, enjoy a meal, and watch a talent show created by the campers – returned this year, allowing campers to show off their singing, dancing, and poetry skills.

Both staff and campers enjoyed the experience. “I loved seeing the kids have fun this summer,” said one camp counselor. “It was a great experience to be around kids that [may have not had] a positive role model in their life, and be that person that they look up to.” As one parent shared, “[My daughter] enjoyed every part of [camp], and talked about it for days after coming home.”

Additionally, we launched a new specialty camp this year – Camp Felix Pride! Designed to be an inclusive and enriching experience for LGBTQ+ youth, 22 campers attended the 1-week session in Connecticut. Special activities included karaoke, biking, yoga, and a dress-up drag night.

We have high hopes for the future, and are excited to provide even more Camp Felix programming in the months ahead. This year, we will be hosting year-round recreational activities, field trips, holiday celebrations, a Youth Council, and other events to provide meaningful opportunities for our young people to connect with each other throughout the school year.

Camp Felix is made possible with the support of our partners at The Felix Organization, with special thanks to the American Foundation of Savoy Orders.

September 26, 2022/by Elefant Design

Media Coverage, Press Release

Press Release: The New York Foundling Announces Six New Additions to Esteemed Board of Trustees

THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING ANNOUNCES SIX NEW ADDITIONS TO ESTEEMED BOARD OF TRUSTEES

New York, NY (September 22, 2022) – The New York Foundling announces the appointment of six new members to their Board of Trustees. Joining the board are Steve Banks (Paul, Weiss), Jon Cohen (BioReference Laboratories, Inc.), Stephanie Davis (SVB Securities), Tina King (BNY Mellon), Kathleen Padian (TenSquare), and Karen K. Morales Pérez (Herrero, Morales & Reyes Law Offices, PSC).

“We are thrilled to welcome these six incredible new members to The New York Foundling’s Board of Trustees,” said Melanie Hartzog, CEO and President of the New York Foundling. “This group brings a wide array of professional expertise and personal experience, and we feel very fortunate as an organization to have their support. We look forward to working hand in hand with Kathleen, Steve, Karen, Jon, Stephanie, Tina, and the entirety of our Board of Trustees to continue helping our neighbors in New York and Puerto Rico reach their full potential.”

The new board members hail from major law firms, city government, healthcare, education, tech, finance, and more, and bring a combined several decades’ of innovative thinking and compassionate leadership.

“As the Chair of The New York Foundling’s Board of Trustees, I have a deep appreciation for the importance of an effective board to the success of the organization,” said Robert King. “It is my honor to welcome these accomplished folks into our organization, and I am thrilled to partner with them as we find new avenues to take The Foundling’s mission forward and continue uplifting our communities.”

About the New Board Members:

Steven Banks

Steven Banks is special counsel in Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP’s Pro Bono practice, where he manages and oversees the firm’s pro bono strategy and leverages firm partnerships with legal services organizations and clients to increase societal impact.

Previously, Steve served in city government – from 2014 through 2022, he served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS), the largest social services agency in the United States, where he established and led reforms for many robust and high-impact DSS programs. During a portion of this time, beginning in 2016, Steve was also appointed to lead the Department of Homeless Services, as head of a joint management structure under the DSS. During his tenure, the DSS decreased evictions, reduced the number of families experiencing homelessness and residing in shelters, and dramatically enhanced and expanded assistance for low-income families and individuals.

Prior to this, Steve spent over three decades at New York City’s Legal Aid Society, the country’s oldest and largest not-for-profit legal aid organization. From 2004 to 2014, Steve was the attorney-in-chief at LAS, where he managed the legal practice and operations of the criminal, juvenile rights, and civil programs run by the organization.

Jon R. Cohen

Jon R. Cohen, M.D., is the Executive Chairman and CEO of BioReference Laboratories, one of the nation’s largest commercial laboratories. Dr. Cohen has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, he is a seasoned strategic leader with a track record of growing existing business and developing new ventures. Dr. Cohen was recently awarded Crain’s New York Business 2020 Notable in Health Care.

Dr. Cohen is well recognized in the diagnostics industry having served for nearly a decade as one of the five executive officers for Quest Diagnostics. Previously, he served as Chief Policy Advisor for Governor David Paterson and for six years as Chief Medical Officer for Northwell Health. In 2010, he was named as one the nation’s top 50 most powerful physician executives by Modern Healthcare.

His 2012 TEDMED, “Why Don’t Patients Act Like Consumers?” was recently ranked the #1 TEDMED talk that every healthcare executive needs to watch. Dr. Cohen is a vascular surgeon, having completed his residency in surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and vascular surgery fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed professional articles.

Stephanie Davis

Stephanie Davis is a Senior Research Analyst at SVB Securities covering Healthcare Technology and Distribution. She has over a decade of experience covering the Healthcare IT and IT Services sectors and leads the firm’s digital health research efforts. Her coverage universe includes the electronic health record names, and the payer-facing, provider-facing, and pharma-facing health tech and digital health companies.

Prior to joining SVB, Ms. Davis led coverage of the Healthcare IT sector at Citibank and J.P. Morgan. Earlier in her career, she worked as an Equity Research Analyst at J.P. Morgan on the #1 ranked Payments, Processors, and IT Services team.

In 2019, Davis was recognized as a Runner-Up for Health Care Technology and Distribution on Institutional Investor’s All America Research Team and was included in Business Insider’s “Rising Stars of Equity Research” in 2017. Ms. Davis earned a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Columbia University and is a CFA charterholder.

Tina King

Tina King is the Chief Financial Officer for Investment and Wealth Management at BNY Mellon. Tina serves as a finance business partner for the $2tr Investment and Wealth Management business. At BNY, Tina has been named on the Board of Newton Investment Management, CFO of the National Association Bank and on the Managing Director Selection Panel.

Prior to BNY Mellon, Tina spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs in strategy, finance and operations leadership roles across investment and wealth management. She held positions as COO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) Americas Client Business, CAO of Global Third Party Distribution and COO of GSAM Global Insurance.

Karen K. Morales Pérez

Karen K. Morales Pérez is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, where she completed, Magna Laude, a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences. The analytical foundation of science led her to complete her Juris Doctor at the University of Puerto Rico in May 2009. Ms. Morales Pérez is a partner and president of the law firm Herrero, Morales & Reyes Law Offices, PSC in Puerto Rico, which is dedicated to civil and notarial practice, leading municipal and government agencies litigation, insurance, damages, labor, family and others in that branch. During her 12 years of experience as a lawyer she has appeared before different administrative agencies, as well as before the Courts of Puerto Rico. She also has extensive experience in appellate and review processes before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Ms. Morales Pérez is the mother of a girl, Kamila Nahir and a boy, Héctor Daniel, the latter being a participant in the Early Head Start Program in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.

Kathleen Padian

Kathleen Padian is a partner at TenSquare, LLC, a national consulting firm specializing in support for Public School Districts, State Departments of Education and Charter Management Organizations. Kathleen specializes in the development of school facilities and developing policies related to charter school authorizing. Her experience in the public education sector spans from the classroom to the central office, as well as leadership roles at philanthropic organizations and nonprofit support entities. Prior to joining TenSquare she served as Deputy Superintendent for the Orleans Parish School Board where she created their first accountability framework for schools. In that role she also managed more than $400 million in school construction and renovation projects.

Kathleen founded the New Orleans School Facility Project in partnership with several national philanthropies. She previously served as Vice President of Building Hope (DC), National Director of Development for New Leaders (NY), as Strategic Investments Director for Fight for Children (DC) and was responsible for the multi-site expansion of St. Coletta of Greater Washington, a regional organization serving children and adults with developmental disabilities. Her educational background includes degrees from the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University, as well as advanced study in special education and educational leadership at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. She serves on the Board of the Irish Channel Neighborhood Association in her current hometown of New Orleans, LA where she lives with her teenage daughter.

About The New York Foundling

At The New York Foundling, we trust in the potential of people, and we deliberately invest in proven practices. From bold beginnings in 1869, our New York based nonprofit has supported hundreds of thousands of our neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence. The New York Foundling’s internationally recognized set of social services are both proven and practical. We help children and families navigate through and beyond foster care. We help families struggling with conflict and poverty to grow stronger. We help people with developmental disabilities live their best lives. And we help children and families access quality health and mental health services core to building lifelong resilience and wellbeing. For more information about The New York Foundling, please visit www.nyfoundling.org.

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September 22, 2022/by Elefant Design

Developmental Disabilities, Media Coverage

The Council on Quality and Leadership: The New York Foundling Pursues Quality With Purpose

The Council on Quality and Leadership published a feature interview on our recent accreditation from their agency, which provides additional perspective about our inclusive approach to transforming our services for people with developmental disabilities.

As Michael Clausen, CQL Director of Personal Outcomes, writes, “It was obvious that [The Foundling] didn’t just view it as ‘passing a test.’ It was so much more than that… The New York Foundling demonstrated that they were ‘in it’ for the right reasons, treating accreditation as a time to reflect, celebrate, and plan out their journey to strengthen the quality of their services and help improve the lives of people they support.”

Read more at CQL

September 22, 2022/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Developmental Disabilities, Media Coverage

ABC 7 NY: New Apartments offer Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities or coming out of Foster Care

ABC 7 recently covered the opening of our Vital Brookdale supportive housing complex, highlighting the project’s role in providing housing for people with developmental disabilities and young adults aging out of foster care – allowing them to live independently and thrive.

Watch the video below to see the units and hear from Anthony McQueen, a resident with developmental disabilities who is proud to have moved into his new home.

Read more on ABC 7 NY

September 19, 2022/by Elefant Design

Health and Behavioral Health, Media Coverage

Gothamist: Depression was on the rise among young people before COVID-19 pandemic

Dr. Ruth Gerson, our Senior Vice President for Mental Health Services, was recently featured in an article focusing on the heightened need for mental health support for young people. A new Columbia University study reports that in 2020, nearly one in five Americans between the ages of 12 and 25 were affected by depression.

“What we saw for a long time leading up to the pandemic and subsequently since is an increase in kids ending up in emergency rooms for mental health concerns because they don’t have anywhere else to go,” she says.

Read more at Gothamist

September 19, 2022/by Elefant Design

Blog, Developmental Disabilities

Food, Fun, and Community: The Return of our Developmental Disabilities Division BBQ

A variety of games were available

Our annual Friends and Family BBQ, hosted by our Developmental Disabilities Division, is a summer highlight for those living in our residences and attending our day and community habilitation programs. The people we support look forward to the opportunity to come together and connect with friends and family, while enjoying food, games, music, and more.

While the event was on hiatus due to the pandemic, it returned this year in full force! Last month, the event took place at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, NY. Around 1,110 attendees came out for a joy-filled day!

In addition to barbeque food, dishes such as chicken and mac and cheese were served

Attendees, their families, and Foundling staff members enjoyed a variety of food – burgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, chicken sandwiches, fish, cornbread, and more – and had the opportunity to dance to music provided by a DJ. Other activities included balloon making, face painting, corn hole, and flag football.

As a testament to the presence The Foundling has in the community, two Assembly Members were also in attendance – Amy Paulin and Thomas Abinanti – and had the opportunity to meet the people in our programs!

And amidst all the fun, it was also a bittersweet time for our Foundling staff.

Jill Gentile and Assemblymember Thomas Abinanti speak to Foundling staff

It was the last BBQ for Jill Gentile, Senior Vice President of our Developmental Disabilities Division, who will be retiring this fall. Her retirement was celebrated at the event, from custom t-shirts to a moving speech by our Board Chair Bob King honoring her leadership over the past 9 years.

At The Foundling, we are committed to ensuring that each person in our care is able to live their best lives. For those with developmental disabilities, this is what that looks like – providing a supportive space to connect with peers, maintain and bolster family relationships, participate in meaningful activities, and feel appreciated and valued. We look forward to an even bigger and better BBQ event next year!

View more photos from the event below:

Thank you to Grassy Sprain Pharmacy for sponsoring the 2022 Annual Friends and Family BBQ.

September 6, 2022/by Elefant Design

Media Coverage, Partnerships

CSRWire: Tai’s Taco Truck

For the New York Mets’ September 2 game at Citi Field, pitcher Taijuan Walker partnered with The New York Foundling for his Tai’s Taco Truck initiative, where he gave out free tacos and solicited donations on behalf of The Foundling.

Read more at CSRWire

September 2, 2022/by Elefant Design

Blog, Child Welfare

A School Project with Heart: How Lucy Made a Difference

At The Foundling, we believe that anyone – regardless of age, circumstance, or location – has the potential to make a difference in the world.

Lucy Musler, a 14 year old student from Issaquah, Washington, is a shining example of this. This past spring, she was assigned a school project in her 8^th grade Language Arts class – prompted by the book “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton – to create a plan to help those who lack support systems within their communities. The project resonated deeply with Lucy, and she created a detailed plan to raise money to donate supplies to children in foster care. While her teacher did not expect Lucy to execute her plan, Lucy was determined to see it through. Lucy created a GoFundMe, shared her story, and set a goal of $400. Ultimately, she far exceeded her goal, raising a staggering $3000, which she donated to The Foundling and other organizations that support children in foster care and preventative services.

Lucy and her family are overjoyed by the success of the campaign, and grateful for the generosity that has come out of this project. She recently visited New York City for the first time on a family vacation, allowing Lucy to feel a deeper connection to her fundraising work. As she prepares to enter high school this fall, she looks forward to using her compassion and motivation to help others in the future.

We did a short interview with Lucy – read more about her experience and connection to The Foundling below!

For your school project, you created a plan to help kids in foster care, and then you made it happen! Why is this cause important to you?

I’m lucky to have a happy family and a roof over my head, but I’m a teenager; a lot of the foster kids I read about are my age. It could easily be my friends or my classmates. That’s what makes this important to me.

After you decided you wanted to support foster youth, what next? What were your steps for starting this fundraiser and reaching out for support?

My initial aim was a fundraiser held inside of my school, so I pitched my ideas to the school fundraising committee. When that turned out to be a dead end, I decided to take the project to the internet. From there, I selected the organizations, formulated a budget, and set up the GoFundMe.

What advice would you give to someone else trying to fundraise for a cause they care about?

Cliché, but my advice would be to not give up. I felt pretty stuck after my first plan failed, but if I’d quit then, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what I have.

You recently found out you have a family connection to The Foundling. Did you know that when you first decided to start this fundraiser? Did learning about your family history change your perspective?

My Gruncle (great uncle) Tom told me that my great, great grandpa was cared for by The Foundling after I had already chosen it as one of my organizations, and I found it to be a pretty beautiful coincidence. I hope my donation to The Foundling can also be a thank you for creating my family, as well as many others.

Have you been involved in community service in the past, or is this the first time you’ve done a project to help others? Would you do other things like this in the future – and if so, do you have any ideas of what you’d like to try next?

I haven’t been involved in community service in the past, but I plan to in the future. I’m a strong writer, so I’ve thought about doing some essays. However I do it, though, I definitely want to use my skills and privileges to help others. Making an impact in the world is important to me.

Is there anything else that you would like people to know about you or this project?

I just want to shout out Ms. Kwok, the teacher who assigned this project and made it all possible. She’s a great teacher and a truly kind person.

Inspired by Lucy’s story? You too can support the children, adults, and families in our programs:

Peer to Peer (P2P) fundraising allows passionate individuals to raise money on behalf of an organization through personalized giving pages that they share with peers – friends, family, coworkers, and other contacts.

There are many reasons to create a P2P fundraising page, including:

Birthdays – instead of presents, have friends/family donate to a cause close to your heart
In Memorium – honor the memory of a loved one with a fundraiser for their favorite charity
Personal Goals – utilize P2P fundraising as a personal incentive to help you achieve fitness goals or other aspirations, while making a difference in the lives of others
General Support – maximize your impact in the community, by leveraging your social networks to do good

Join other fundraisers on The Foundling’s dedicated P2P platform– JustGiving – by clicking ‘Fundraise for Us.’

For questions or additional information on P2P fundraising for The Foundling, reach out to Laura Wright at Partners@NYFoundling.org or 212-886-4087.

August 24, 2022/by Elefant Design

Blog, Partnerships

Team Foundling 2022: Meet our NYC Marathon Runners!

On November 6, Team Foundling will take to the streets for the TCS New York City Marathon! The world’s largest marathon and a source of inspiration to runners worldwide, the race will include over 50,000 athletes who will complete a 26.2-mile route through all five boroughs of New York City.

This year marks our largest team of runners yet – and while they come from different backgrounds and have different athletic aspirations, they all share a commitment to not only reach their personal race goals, but to raise money for the children, adults, and families in our Foundling community as well.

Read more about each of our team members below, and learn how you can support them and The Foundling.

Ryan Dykhouse

Ryan has only been running for four years, but in this time, he has participated in the 2018 Detroit Marathon, as well as the Brooklyn, NYC, Disney, and Portland Half Marathons. He loves the runner community, especially around big races, and how supportive everyone is when you are training and participating in an event. For the NYC Marathon, he’d ideally like to break the 4 hour barrier.

It’s his first time running with a charity partner, and he’s excited for the opportunity. Not only is he looking forward to the comraderies and shared commitment that comes with running with a team, but he’s passionate about The Foundling’s work. As he shares, “The Foundling is such an incredible institution for kids in New York City. As a former NYC public school teacher, I am thankful for any organization that works to provide underserved youth with opportunities to embrace life and grow into the best people they can be. And The Foundling is exactly that kind of organization.”

Support Ryan here!

Eric Kanagy

Eric has completed 4 marathons in the past (including the NYC Marathon), and is excited to run for The Foundling this year! He enjoys running in lower Manhattan and Central Park, and particularly cherishes how the sport provides him with the opportunity to think without distractions.

As a foster parent with The Foundling, he shares a personal connection to our mission, and is excited to support our work!

Support Eric here!

Jeffrey Tuchman

Jeffrey’s been an avid runner for 15 years, and has completed two marathons and five half marathons. Most recently, Jeffrey was a member of Team Foundling for the 2022 United Airlines Half!

He is eager to run for The Foundling once again, as he cares about children and supports investing in their present and future.

Support Jeffrey here!

Timothy Williams

Timothy’s been a runner for 18 years, and most recently ran with us for the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon earlier this year! His favorite places to run are across NYC and on the beach, and he particularly enjoys the sense of accomplishment that running gives him.

Timothy comes to Team Foundling through a deep understanding and passion for our mission. He is a foster parent with us, and was drawn to create a safe, loving environment and life for children who need a supportive home. Timothy is excited to combine his interest in running with his dedication to helping our Foundling community.

Support Timothy here!

Emerson Davis

Emerson will be running her very first marathon as part of Team Foundling! She’s been a runner off and on since high school, and has completed in five half marathons in the past. Her favorite song to run to is Higher Love by Whitney Houston, and her favorite places to run are Prospect Park and Central Park.

She is particularly passionate about The Foundling’s Haven Academy and our Haven Kids Rock performing arts program. “I believe in the transformational power of the arts and Haven Kids Rock is a wonderful example of that,” she shares.

Support Emerson here!

Jacqueline Falcon

Running “can provide a mental and physical escape, and is one thing that’s completely powered by you,” says Jacqueline. She’s been a casual runner for the past 10 years, and has completed a few 5k runs, but this is her first marathon! She’s excited to soak up the energy of the city, and to finish the race.

Jacqueline’s excited to raise money for The Foundling, and has a personal connection to foster care and adoption. “I believe strongly that having an advocate for you can completely change the course of your life,” she says. “My mother was someone who was adopted at age 13 and suffered through a difficult home environment. She ultimately was set on a better path thanks to someone who was able to advocate and give her access to resources like the ones that The Foundling provides.”

Support Jacqueline here!

Amanda Brown

Amanda has been a runner for her entire life, and is excited to finish the NYC Marathon! She enjoys running in forests and parks, to Beyonce, Drake, and Brockhampton’s music.

Running for The Foundling is just one more way she’s deepening her connection to The Foundling – she also serves on our Junior Board, was a Camp Counselor at Camp Felix, and volunteers regularly for the organization. “My work with The Foundling is what inspired me to become a teacher, and to teach in a high need, urban environment,” she says.

Support Amanda here!

CL Freedman

CL is a beginning runner who hopes to complete the NYC Marathon this year! She enjoys running because you need nothing but an open road, and enjoys running along the West Side Highway.

CL was formerly on The Foundling’s Junior Board, and is drawn to our organization’s deep history and wide scope of programs.

Support CL here!

David Stuckey

David is excited to join Team Foundling and complete the marathon in under 3:45. He enjoys running along NYC’s waterfronts, as well as in neighborhoods that he’s unfamiliar with. Running allows him to clear his head – he often doesn’t listen to music, and running gives him time to think.

David is excited to be on Team Foundling – he loves that the organization provides holistic support to families and young people, from counseling to housing to education and so much more!

Support David here!

Cecile Curtin

Cecile has been a runner for 7 years, and has completed the virtual Boston Marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon, and the Marine Corp Marathon. For the NYC Marathon, she hopes to finish in under 5:30-6:00. She enjoys running in Cape Cod and Central Park, and likes that it provides a chance to zone out and clear her head.

Her connection to The Foundling comes through family – her daughter Taylor previously worked for The Foundling as an Education Specialist!

Support Ceclile here!

August 16, 2022/by Elefant Design

Health and Behavioral Health, Media Coverage

Social Work Today: Connected Care

In an article in the latest edition of Social Work Today, Shannon Ghramm-Smith, our Senior Vice President of our Child Welfare & Behavioral Health Division, draws on her experience at The Foundling to discuss the benefits and challenges of integrated care. This is where medical and behavioral health providers collaborate to provide holistic, wrap-around services. “Having interrelated services easily accessible in one location or being able to do warm handoffs to a care team member from the same agency allows the client to focus more on what they need—and on building a relationship with the provider—instead of focusing on finding the services they need, referral forms, eligibility, and scheduling,” she says.

Read more at Social Work Today

August 9, 2022/by Elefant Design