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How We’re Taking Action Against COVID

The New York Foundling’s COVID-19 Response

The New York Foundling continues to be proactive in our efforts to provide support, stability, and strength to the children, adults, and families in our communities across New York and Puerto Rico. As the COVID-19 pandemic has upended all of our lives, we have transformed our services to best support the children, adults, and families we serve. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to maintain our commitment to our neighbors and continue our important work.

Since 1869, we have been here for New Yorkers – in times of prosperity and crisis. Read more on the many ways our programs have adapted to changing and responding to community needs in our blog series, Our Work Continues. We have always sought to provide our neighbors with the resources and tools to overcome obstacles – it is The Foundling way.

Over the past few months, we have transformed our programs and services to adapt to safety and health guidelines:

In our Developmental Disabilities division, our Day Habilitation programs have shifted to operating virtually and within Foundling residences, while staff at our residences assist residents in adapting to new restrictions and guidelines.
We now conduct telehealth sessions within our medical and mental health programs. Our foster parent orientations have moved online, and our therapists, interventionists, and social workers now maintain connections with children and families through video conferences.
Toaid in remote learning, we have distributed Chromebooks, MiFi devices, and other equipment to young people in our programs.
In Staten Island, programs now provide necessities to families impacted by the economic downturn, including a grocery giveaway program that provides families with meat, fruits, vegetables, hygiene products, and other essentials.

We continue to seek out new ways to provide resources to those in our community as COVID-19 continues to impact daily life. We are grateful for the continued involvement and unwavering support of everyone in our Foundling family, and know we will make it through this together.

If you or your company are interested in learning more or supporting our response, please contact Amber Janke, Director of Individual & Corporate Giving, at amber.janke@nyfoundling.org.

What Can I Do?

The New York Foundling’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund

The New York Foundling has established a fund to support our neighbors who are most in jeopardy during this unprecedented pandemic. The New York Foundling COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will help our organization remain flexible by:

Providing our most at-risk neighbors with basic necessities
Making sure that programs remain adequately staffed to support the safety of our participants
Ensuring all of the people we work with have access to healthcare, food, and technology that allows them to access needed services while maintaining social distance

Our spectrum of services includes comprehensive supports for people who fall into many high-risk categories—including those who are involved with the child welfare, juvenile justice, and shelter systems, as well as people with disabilities, many of whom are immunocompromised. Our neighbors need us all now more than ever, and we are focused on doing everything we can to keep our community safe.

We understand that the pandemic has made a large impact on our community – New York City leads the nation in COVID-19 cases, and in this time of social distancing, it can be difficult to provide a helping hand. You may feel powerless to assist in this time of need – but with The New York Foundling COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, you can make a tangible difference. Your generosity will provide support to your neighbors that need it most.

Contribute to the The New York Foundling COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund:

Click here to make an online donation.

To give by check, please mail to: The New York Foundling, Development Department, 590 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011.

For any questions about making a donation, please contact development@nyfoundling.org or call us at 212-886-4064.

Other Ways to Help

For questions about alternative types of gifts, donating a gift card, or arranging for your company to support The Foundling, contact Amber Janke at Amber.Janke@NYFoundling.org.
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