The New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal released a press release on the opening of the Vital Brookdale apartment complex. This new building – located in Brownsville, Brooklyn – was created as part of the Vital Brookdale initiative in partnership with The Foundling.
As Melanie Hartzog, our President and CEO, stated in the press release: “We are grateful to the administration for their partnership in helping create Vital Brookdale, offering opportunity and promise for the people and communities that The New York Foundling serves. At The Foundling, we continue to look for impactful ways to uplift youth aging out of foster care and people with developmental disabilities. We see Vital Brookdale as one example of many more to come that demonstrates the mutual good that stems from providing opportunities for our neighbors to reach their full potential. It’s been a true joy to watch our residents’ confidence grow as a result of having the resources necessary to succeed on their paths to independence.”
https://www.nyfoundling.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/VitalBrookdaleRibbonCutting.jpg5121280Elefant Designhttps://www.nyfoundling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nyf-logo-wp.pngElefant Design2022-12-01 10:00:582024-05-21 11:25:16Press Release: Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $82 Million Affordable and Supportive Housing Development in Brownsville
The building features outdoor space, an on-site gym, game room, library, and more
Vital Brookdale – our new supportive housing complex – offers opportunity and promise for the people we serve.
Created in collaboration with New York State’s Vital Brooklyn Initiative, our new apartment complex in Brownsville, Brooklyn opened this summer – and is giving our neighbors the support to become thriving members of the community.
Units are fully equipped and furnished
Vital Brookdale serves two distinct groups that often experience steep obstacles to living on their own – young people aging out of foster care and adults with developmental disabilities. Without a support system that understands their unique needs, they often struggle to secure affordable housing, learn life skills, and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Vital Brookdale builds on our existing Supportive Housing and Developmental Disabilities residential programming to provide new, private apartments to participants that are ready to live independently – and the guidance to ensure that they can successfully transition into this next step in their lives.
Foundling support staff provide on-site guidance as residents transition to independent living
As a core partner on the project, The Foundling was intrinsically involved in Vital Brookdale’s construction, and ensured that the building was designed to best serve these groups. While the building also has units designated for the general community, many of the complex’s studio and 1-bedroom units are specifically allocated to people receiving holistic supports from The Foundling.
For many Vital Brookdale residents, this is the first time they’ve had a space to call their very own
Additionally, unique on-site amenities – such as a staffed Foundling office, community spaces and resources, and an upcoming day habilitation and employment services center for people with developmental disabilities – ensure that ongoing assistance is only a few steps away.
And this is just the beginning: The Foundling’s expansion and investment in Supportive Housing will continue, with two additional developments in progress. These additional buildings – slated to open in Harlem and the Bronx within the next five years – will further support the needs of our community.
Learn more about Vital Brookdale by watching our latest video – and hear from Foundling staff and participants in their own words:
And meet more of our residents through recent press coverage:
New apartments offer supportive housing for people with disabilities or coming out of foster care
News 12 Brooklyn:
All-inclusive housing complex in Brooklyn opens doors to those aged out of foster care
Vital Brookdale is still accepting residents!
Interested in making a referral or getting more information?
For adults with developmental disabilities: Email I&R@NYFoundling.org or call 212-886-4020. For young people aging out of foster care: Email ESSHI@NYFoundling.org.
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News 12 Brooklyn reported on Vital Brookdale, our new supportive housing complex serving those aging out of foster care and those with developmental disabilities.
In their video report, the news crew speaks to Foundling staff member Cathy Branche and resident Patricia Jackson – who speaks to the complex’s focus on accessibility and best serving the needs of its community.
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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.
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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.
https://www.nyfoundling.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ABC7.png531948Elefant Designhttps://www.nyfoundling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nyf-logo-wp.pngElefant Design2022-09-19 16:24:372022-09-19 16:39:43ABC 7 NY: New Apartments offer Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities or coming out of Foster Care
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 8th 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.
https://www.nyfoundling.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lucy-4-scaled-e1661355556567.jpg11251500Elefant Designhttps://www.nyfoundling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nyf-logo-wp.pngElefant Design2022-08-24 11:02:062022-08-24 11:43:01A School Project with Heart: How Lucy Made a Difference
The news coming out of the Supreme Court regarding gun rights is difficult to process. At The Foundling, most of us have spent significant time and resources trying to combat our city’s growing gun violence crisis, whether it be here at work, or at home in our own communities. Many of us have been directly affected by New York’s gun violence epidemic, making this all the
more personal and painful; the communities we hail from, and the communities we serve, are often the most impacted by violent crime, and gun violence is no exception.
We can all agree that what this city needs is less access to firearms, not more. And we can all agree that, as we continue to experience increased instances of unprovoked and often hate-driven violence, the knowledge that there might be more guns on our streets is unsettling.
We stand with Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams in opposition to this ruling, and will continue to fight to combat gun violence and violence in any capacity in our city’s streets. At The Foundling, we know how much we can accomplish through anti-violence initiatives at the community level, and how much good can come from getting people the support and resources they need to be able to thrive. We will continue to serve our communities and find creative solutions to the many public crises we currently face, in an effort to make New York City safer for everyone.
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In an editorial co-written by our CEO and President, Melanie Hartzog, and Jennifer Geiling, CEO of Union Settlement, these two nonprofit leaders make the case for a greater investment in the city’s social service workers. They note that “Contracted nonprofits rely on government funding, with contract revenue representing upwards of 90% of many budgets….And without our hardworking and highly-skilled team members- our counselors, our health workers, our classroom teachers and aides — nonprofits and the city have no ability to deliver. Humans are of course at the core of human services.”
“With growing inflation and compressed salaries, our workforce is facing an increasingly steeper climb to build a better future for themselves and their families,” they write. “Wage increases for the social services workforce in New York City is a critical step toward wage equity and financial stability.”
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Skye Ostreicher speaks to our CEO & President, Melanie Hartzog. They disucss how she parlays her government experience into the nonprofit sector to help provide social services in New York City, the upcoming opening of our Vital Brookdale supportive housing, and more.
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Bill Baccaglini, The Foundling’s former President & CEO, appeared at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service this week. He was conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters, as well as gave a commencement address to this year’s class of nearly 500 graduates.
“You don’t do this because it’s easy. You’ve chosen to do this because it needs to be done,” he said in his address. “We’ve seen enough suffering to know that the true heroes are those individuals who believe that the highest calling and greatest gift is to have the opportunity and ability to improve the lives of those around them.”
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Since 2006, Camp Felix – our overnight summer camp – has provided a safe space for those in our programs to explore, grow, and learn. 
