fbpx

“Family is Love.”
                        – The Honorable Michael Corriero

 

We owe the success of our 2015 annual appeal to you.

 

Our annual appeal provides funding where it is needed most. Whether it’s giving a child in foster care a place to call home, helping a student struggling in school or providing assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities, your support has an everlasting effect on the people we proudly serve.

 

Thank you for investing in our efforts with a gift to The Foundling!

 

 

Your generosity grants us the ability to achieve our 146-year old mission of empowering children and families across New York City, surrounding counties and Puerto Rico. Together, we have raised $350,000 and counting – funds that will go to immediate work helping thousands of underserved families in 2016.

 

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the inspiring videos we have shared over the past few months, please visit our blog and hear from Nicole, JakeIsis, Tajuana, Judy and Manuel  on the importance of family, The Foundling, and what it means to them.

 

P.S. Even more videos about the kids, families and people we help are available on our video channel.

The Holidays may be over but at The Foundling we’re still reveling in the wonderful ways our friends, families, donors and volunteers made this holiday season the best yet. In Part III of our Holiday Blog Series we’ll highlight the generosity and kindness demonstrated by a few of our young volunteers.

 

Kennedy Slater donated her birthday to The Foundling. In lieu of gifts, Kennedy asked her party guests to consider donating a gift card to help Foundling children and families through the holiday season. With the support of her mom, Michelle, and her three sisters (Sydney, Avery and Tiffany), Kennedy collected over 20 gifts cards!

 

 

Amanda Eisenberg, a senior in high school and former Foundling intern organized a crowdfunding campaign and created six fully stocked ‘baby bundles’ packed with all the necessities needed for The Foundling’s Crisis Nursery. Amanda also collected 75 gift cards!

 

Gift cards to affordable retailers like Target, Old Navy and TJ Maxx, along with prepaid cards (American Express, Mastercard, Visa) not only bring extra holiday cheer, they also empower the families in our care to select the items they need most for daily living. The gift cards Kennedy and Amanda collected brought hope and happiness to many families in need this holiday season. And, as winter finally arrives in New York City, parents and caregivers are using their gifts cards to make sure their little ones are ready to brave the cold with warm coats, cozy mittens, as well as hats, earmuffs and scarfs.

 

Samantha Katz and her mother Stacy dropped by last week to deliver books and diapers for the Crisis Nursery, and also presented The Foundling with a check for $100! Samantha raised the funds this past summer at a lemonade stand she organized near her home, and wanted to be sure that the money went to an organization helping other children.

 

The members of Cub Scout Pack 422 organized their annual gift card and toy drive for The Foundling again this year, with great success. They collected over 100 gift cards and over 200 toys to help our children, teens and families have a happy holiday!

 

Participating in our annual gift collection, creating crowdsourcing campaigns, hosting gift card drives, and volunteering at Foundling events are great ways to be involved with our organization. Another way to help us deliver services to children and families across New York City is through financial support or through our monthly giving plan. Funds are used to provide important services to 30,000 children and families year-round.

 

You’re never too old or too young to appreciate the joy of giving to others. If you would like to fundraise for The Foundling or are interested in learning about other volunteer opportunities please email development@nyfoundling.org or visit our volunteer page.

 

COMING UP: Keep an eye out for our next blog series on even more ways to volunteer and get involved with The Foundling!

Written by Foundling Guest Blogger, Madeline Rizzuti, RDN

 

Ask yourself: is it realistic to lose 60 pounds by May? Is running a marathon something I can achieve? Is “eat healthier” a measurable goal? Setting unrealistic New Year’s resolutions only leads to inevitably giving them up. All too often people shoot for the stars and set impossible expectations for themselves. Hey, we’re only human!

 

Now that the New Year has made an appearance, maybe it’s time to kick that resolution into high gear. They key is making SMART goals. They should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and with a Time frame.

 

An example of a SMART goal is something like:

 

“I will prepare meals on Sundays to have leftovers for lunch at work, instead of ordering fast food.”

 

“I will exercise more by joining a gym and doing 2 spin classes per week.”

 

“I will drink more water by replacing daily sodas with water flavored with Crystal Lite at least 5 days per week.”

 

These are measurable, specific, time framed and realistic goals.

 

Some simple and basic improvements to your diet can be:

 

  • DRINK MORE WATER! Cut out sodas, juices, and all other sweetened beverages that add tons of excess calories daily.
  • ADD VEGGIES! Vegetables are a vital source of fiber, vitamins and minerals and (SURPRISE!) are super low in calories. Vegetables at each meal are a must!
  • GO LEAN! Choose leaner protein sources like skinless chicken or turkey breast, egg whites, fish, non-fat dairy, nuts, tofu, and > 90% ground beef.
  • CONTROL YOUR SNACKING! Plan your daily snacks. Packing snacks in advance and rationing throughout the day can help you avoid coming home after a long day at work and ravenously scouring the kitchen for a fix!
  • PLAN! Use food tracker apps like My Fitness Pal or Lose It to help organize your diet and keep track of your intake.

 

You haven’t set any nutrition goals for 2016 yet? Make small, attainable goals. Once you’ve successfully changed your habits, add more! Take one of these tips and run with it. Make it specific to your lifestyle, make it realistic, and give yourself a time frame for achieving that goal. Good Luck! 

 

Madeline Rizzuti is a Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Education Counselor working for the Developmental Disabilities Program of the New York Foundling. She is a New York native who loves to cook and travel the world tasting new flavors.

 

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The New York Foundling, its funders, regulators, donors and/or employees.

 

The information contained within this article is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only.

 

With each New Year many of us make resolutions in which we aim to better ourselves and our community. Sometimes these goals of ‘running every day’ and ‘cooking healthier meals’ fade .This year, let’s get back to the basics and focus on something seemingly simple: being kind.

 

The Foundling’s grant manager, Ava Rosenblatt discusses how we all can do so in her blog piece:

 

“The Secret to Being a Kinder Person”

 

Everyone wants to think of themselves as a good person, but actually doing the right thing, or even knowing the right thing to do, is not easy. However, there is one simple thing you can do that, once you start doing it, will almost immediately make you a better person: It’s called trying. Like any other achievement, being a better person starts with simply putting in a little effort. Here are a few things to try:

 

Recognize kindness as a strength. One of the biggest obstacles to kindness is the idea that kindness somehow makes someone “weaker” or less successful – also known as the “nice guys finish last” myth. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Being kind is typically associated with satisfaction and feelings of meaningfulness in one’s life, and can even be better for business. Kindness towards others is also far from being weak – standing up for people in need often requires great bravery and personal strength.

 

See things from the other person’s perspective. You don’t have to agree with everything a person says and does in order to understand them. Taking the time and emotional energy to put yourself in another person’s shoes will help you relate to them better, and ultimately stimulate empathy – making kindness toward that person second nature. This is a good exercise for when you find yourself getting angry or holding a grudge against someone.

 

Avoid self-defeating attitudes and generalizations. People make all kinds of excuses not to care about one another, and even incorporate it into their life philosophy with the “everyone is just out for themselves anyway” attitude. The truth is, some people are out for themselves, and some aren’t – ask yourself which you feel better about being. There are many more excuses people use for not being kind, but they all boil down to this – being kind is difficult, and sometimes people just want to get out of doing difficult things.

 

Learn from your mistakes and accept your imperfections. Sometimes, you might say the wrong thing and make a situation worse. Other times, you may simply not have the emotional energy to help someone in need. Rather than using an excuse, owning up to your mistakes will help you avoid them in the future, and recognizing and accepting your imperfections will make you more tolerant of imperfections in others – preventing you from seeing yourself as “above” the people you are helping.

 

For more helpful hints and inspiration on how to improve our world,

visit Ava’s blog goodnessgeek.com

 

In Part II of our series we’ll highlight even more ways different Foundling programs are getting into the holiday spirit!

 

Haven Academy: Holiday celebrations continued at The Foundling when friends, family and students gathered to watch the annual presentation of Mott Haven Academy‘s ballet rendition of The Nutcracker! With guidance from Ballet Ambassadors, a nonprofit which teaches children the joy of performing, every student had a special role in the show.

 

Bridge & Tunnel Association (BTA): The holiday spirit spread from the Bronx to Manhattan when volunteers from BTA visited The Foundling’s headquarters in Chelsea on December 17 and donated 1,000 toys to toddlers, kids and teens. BTA has been providing gifts to Foundling families for over 20 years and each year they deliver on their promise to ensure that our children receive presents to open on Christmas morning. Best of all, “Santa Bob” made a special guest appearance to take pictures and drink hot cocoa with our kids.

 

Special thanks to the employees of the TBTA Emerald Society, SOBA, BTOBA, FOP Lodge #77, Local 1931, Local 1655, BTPORA, and the Managerial Staff for their help, support and contributions to the Annual Boyle/Hyland Memorial Employee Toy Drive which fulfilled The Foundling’s gift collection for 2015.

 

WeWork Festive Holiday Party: 75 children and families of The Foundling were the lucky recipients of WeWork’s generosity this year at their employee holiday party. The focus of the day was giving back, and the roughly 300 employees in attendance did just that by volunteering, serving food, spending time with the children, wrapping gifts and making the room look extra festive. Foundling families built gingerbread houses, decorated stockings with pom-poms and sparkles, and left the party with beautifully wrapped gifts. Best of all, parents received gift cards to help them purchase last minute gifts and stocking stuffers! To top it off, there was food and foosball, an acapella performance by The Maccabeats, and a dance party!

 

WeWork Holiday Party

WeWork Festive Holiday Party

 

Developmental Disabilities Program: The Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities Division delighted in the warmth of the holidays at The Palisades Center for their annual holiday party. More than 275 residents, family members and friends from the varying Developmental Disabilities programs enjoyed dinner and a night of singing and dancing.

 

Foundling Holiday Party: Over 250 staff members of The New York Foundling celebrated at Suite 36 for the Employee Holiday Party. The atmosphere was filled to the brim with merriment and fun as staff brought their best dance moves to the dance floor. Bill Baccaglini, President and CEO of The Foundling and Sister Carol reminded employees that their dedication, compassion and hard work keep the agency strong.

 

With 2016 around the corner, we have a new opportunity to extend the happiness, love and generosity the holidays brings out in all of us. Although the holidays are coming to an end, there’s still plenty of time and ways you can contribute to the families of The New York Foundling for a happy and healthy 2016!

Nicole was 14 years old when she entered The Foundling’s Young Mother’s Program. Unsure of her future, Nicole credits The Foundling for teaching her how to be the best mom possible.

 

Today Nicole has a successful career as a property administrator in New York City and her son is in college while working part time. And in 2012 Nicole joined The Foundling’s Junior Board to give back to the organization that supported her and her son 20 years ago.

 

 

Stories like Nicole’s demonstrate courage, strength and resiliency. They keep us inspired to work harder so we can continue to reach more families, more children, and more individuals in need of our services.

 

Please donate to our 2015 annual appeal so we can keep helping people like Nicole.

We owe our success to you and need your support now more than ever.

 

On behalf of the 30,000 children and families we proudly serve each year, thank you for your support!

It’s officially the holiday season and The Foundling is celebrating throughout the month of December with cheer! In this two part series, we’ll highlight the ways different programs are getting into the holiday spirit.  It’s been inspiring to see so much joy, love and generosity demonstrated by employees, clients and volunteers.

 

Starting off the celebrations was the Junior Board Holiday party on December 9 at Fiddlesticks Bar. Fiddlesticks is a friend of The Foundling and have hosted events in the past.  It was a fantastic evening to socialize and enjoy the merriment of friends during the holidays.

 

On December 10, Macy’s decorated and hosted the Crisis Nursery’s holiday party. Families and children of the Foundling gathered for a catered dinner and everyone received personalized gifts delivered by Santa himself! Stevan Ridley and Bilal Powell from the New York Jets stopped by to visit and take pictures with the kids! There was also a concert from the Lee Strasberg Youth Choir that filled the room with Christmas carols.

 

100 children and families from The Foundling’s Deaf Services program enjoyed a special holiday breakfast on December 12. Children visited Santa and were given gifts donated by the generous employees of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

 

Also on December 12, 50 families and children from our Foster Care programs were treated to a wreathe decorating party at PJ Clarke’s Sidecar and enjoyed a lavish brunch. Kids picked out a real evergreen wreaths donated by Starbright Floral Design and decorated them with tinsel, bows and ornaments.  Junior Board members, Foundling board members and PJ Clarke’s staff volunteered to help facilitate the decorating. The beautiful, creative, and unique wreaths made by the children will be on display at PJ Clarke’s all holiday season long.

 

Help us spread holiday cheer! If you are interested in participating in the Foundling’s holiday spirit, please visit www.nyfoundling.org/donate . There are so many ways to give back to the Foundling community this holiday season!

 

COMING UP: Holiday Season at The Foundling Part II: Haven Academy’s presentation of The Nutcracker, The Foundling’s Staff Holiday Party, Santa Bob, We Work Holiday Party, and much, much more!

 

The Foundling offers dynamic, progressive and evidence-based services and programs to 30,000 children and families each year. What makes our programs so unique and successful are our dedicated and committed employees and staff. Get to know the people inside our organization by reading our blog each week as we highlight a new person.  We’ll ask questions about their role at The Foundling, what their passions and hobbies are outside of the office, and recognize their achievements and accomplishments.

 

 

How does The Foundling’s Foster Care Program help the people?

The Road to Success program greatly improves the academic performances of many of the students that we work with. We have helped students move from failing to passing and have helped them with graduating high school and successfully applying to college.

 

 

What are your major responsibilities at The Foundling?

As a tutor for the Road to Success Program, I work with students ages 12 and up, helping with homework and test preparation, and providing academic advising. I work with 19 students per week, for sixty to ninety minutes per student. I really enjoy the strong relationships that I have developed with my students and their families. Furthermore, tutoring leads to some successes that are possible only with individualized attention; it allows me to focus on the fundamental academic needs of my students over a long period of time. The consistent meetings allow me to push my students.

 

 

What inspires you most about working at The Foundling?

I am constantly inspired by the dedication of my colleagues. Despite dealing with intense situations and difficult cases, they manage to stay positive and continue fighting for their students.

 

 

Tell us about a student that has been successful!

I tutor a student in The Bronx and for much of the first year that we worked together, he had significant problems with mathematics. He was failing and really struggling to grasp the material from his math class. After a year of intense focus on fundamentals, he had a breakthrough. Since then, he has aced summer school and is now successfully passing his math classes.

 

 

What has driven you to be where you are today?

I have worked with children for most of my life, as a music instructor, tutor, and camp counselor. I am interested in pursuing a career in education however; I wanted to explore options outside of traditional school classroom. The Foundling provided me an opportunity to pursue my education goals while also getting involved with high needs students in a one-on-one setting.

 

 

Who is your role model and what do you admire about them?

One person I admire is my older brother. I find his insatiable thirst for knowledge inspiring. He’s always accumulating knowledge from a wide range of sources and becoming engrossed with something new. Watching him tear into dozens of books at a time makes me want to learn more about everything.

 

 

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I have never been to Europe and I have always wanted to go visit Italy in particular. The food is supposed to be amazing and seeing actual Roman ruins would be like a dream.

 

 

Tell us about the latest book you’re reading, or recently read?

I recently completed “American Pastoral” by Phillip Roth. It’s a really pessimistic novel about a family that is torn apart by a daughter’s decision to commit a terrorist act. It deals with the collapse of the American Dream and is astoundingly well written.

 

 

What is your spirit animal and why?

I like to think I’m a dog of some sort, maybe a Labrador: friendly, happiest around people and always ready for some goofing around.

 

 

Want to learn about other Foundling staff? You can meet some of our other employees on TheMuse.com.

 

Jake is a tutor with The Foundling’s Road to Success program, which was created in response to the growing need for tutors to help children in foster care stay engaged in school despite challenges at home.

 

Thanks to committed donors like you, Road to Success tutors have provided over 2,900 hours of private tutoring throughout New York City at no cost to foster parents.

 

Your contribution to our 2015 annual appeal gives children in foster care what they need the most: stability.

 

In the video below, Jake explains how Road to Success works and the admiration he feels watching his students show up with enthusiasm each week, even when the going gets tough.

 

 

Please add a donation to The Foundling to the list of gifts you’ll be giving this holiday season. We owe our success to you, and need your support now more than ever.

By Bill Baccaglini, President and CEO, The New York Foundling 

 

When actress Sandra Bullock revealed in People Magazine that she adopted her second child from foster care, it was not only a demonstration of her love and support for that child, but a reminder to the rest of us about the more than 100,000 children in the United States who are hoping someday to be adopted. Our society has made great strides toward moving children from congregate care settings into foster homes and ultimately into adopted homes, but there is much more that needs to be done.

 

To begin with, there is a tremendous need for more families to open their homes to foster children. These children need loving foster parents to care for them either for a transitional period or longer-term. In some cases, these children have been through a lot. Many have experienced some form of trauma at a very young age. Especially now, at holiday time, we should remember that for some youngsters, a safe and stable home to live in may be the most precious gift they can hope for.

 

As with most gifts, those who give also receive. Foster parents continually tell us what a blessing these children are and how spiritually rewarding it is to be able to bring them into their homes. In fact, through the New York Foundling’s foster care program, we’ve seen many foster parents taking in multiple children over time as they recognize the joy that flows through their homes with each new addition.

Even with the help of these wonderful foster families – and we certainly need more of them – we still need to do more. Some children are in foster care temporarily and are eventually able to return to their biological parents. But there are many for whom that is not an option. For some, they move from foster home to foster home, from school to school, from neighborhood to neighborhood – never sure how long they’re going to be in one place.

 

That’s why Sandra Bullock’s spotlight on this issue is so important, and coverage like the TODAY Show will help us continue the discussion. No matter how caring and devoted foster parents may be, adoption provides a unique type of gift. When a foster parent adopts a child, they are letting that child know they are part of a permanent family – for the rest of their lives.

 

Toniann Gelardo and her daughter, seven-year-old Shay Anabelle Gelardo, a Staten Island family featured in the TODAY Show’s coverage, made their family official after two years of fostering. “It is the most amazing feeling in the world,” says Ms. Gelardo. “The greatest accomplishment in my lifetime.”

 

Foster families will say that making their loving family permanent through adoption provides them as many rewards as it provides to their child. Giving a child stability and love – reading bedtime stories, tucking them into bed, cheering them on at sporting events or praising good grades – showing love in ways large and small – means everything. Adoption makes those moments permanent, can drive away fear, conquer uncertainty and help children recover from the trauma of their young lives. It lets them know they have a home.

Skip to content