Blog Archives - Page 2 of 36 - The New York Foundling

BronxNet: OPEN – Dr. Kristy-Lee Jean Pierre Discusses Mental Health Services at The Foundling

On the Tuesday, December 17 episode of BronxNet Community Television‘s OPEN, Senior Vice President of Mental Services Dr. Kristy-Lee Jean-Pierre, Ph.D, sat with host Kibin Alleyne to discuss the importance of mental health during the holiday season.

She discusses our array of programs targeting young people in foster care, attending NYC schools, as well as the general New York community, and how our mental health services focus on individualized care to create impactful and effective change.

Watch the full interview below, or read more on BronxNet:

December 17, 2024/by Elefant Design

Help Kathy Advocate for Herself and Others

In addition to receiving housing and daily support through The Foundling, Kathy has had the opportunity to make her voice heard and refine her leadership and advocacy skills.

Kathy, who lives in one of our residences for people with developmental disabilities, enjoys the opportunities that The Foundling provides. Our person-centered approach assists each person in achieving their own personal goals, and Kathy’s interest in self-advocacy has led her to spearheading the Developmental Disabilities Peer Advisory Board.

“We have one mission and one mission only: to speak up for ourselves and to speak up for other people who can’t speak up for ourselves,” says Kathy.

Created by Foundling staff so participants can have input on the services they receive, the Peer Advisory Board provides Kathy a space to advocate for herself and her peers, while honing her leadership, public speaking, and organizational skills. As President, she has had the opportunity to rally in Albany, create a voter registration initiative, and directly address The Foundling’s Board of Trustees about the issues that impact her and others with developmental disabilities.

“I motivate my peers, I motivate my housemates, I motivate the people in other residences to speak up. It makes my heart so happy to bring self-advocacy into The Foundling,” Kathy shares.

Since 1869, The Foundling has been committed to providing resources and tools so New Yorkers of all abilities can grow, thrive, and reach their full potential. Your gift can make a big difference, allowing us to support more people like Kathy. Help us give our neighbors the support to make a difference in their community.

Make a Donation

December 10, 2024/by Elefant Design

Leadership, Media Coverage

City & State NY: The 2024 Responsible 100

Our CEO & President, Melanie Hartzog, was named to City & State NY’s 2024 Responsible 100 list. This list spotlights leaders that exemplify what it means to be socially responsible – whether it’s through community engagement and volunteerism, diversity, equity and inclusion, ethics and transparency, or philanthropy and charity.

“Social responsibility is about leading with community – meeting people and communities where they are, understanding and then being responsive to their needs,” Mel shares.

Read more at City & State NY

December 9, 2024/by Elefant Design

Blog, Child Welfare, Education

Thank You for Supporting Young People Like Venessa

With the help of The Foundling, Venessa completed college, moved into a beautiful home, and has begun her transition into adulthood.

Venessa joined our Fostering College Success Initiative program, which provides academic, emotional, vocational, and financial support for young people in foster care. With the support of Foundling tutors, counselors, and coaches, she successfully earned her BA degree in Psychology, with the goal of giving back by working in the social work field.

“The program allowed me to be in school without worrying about where money was going to come from. I had a tutor, and I had a coach, someone who was there when I called to help me deal with life’s challenges,” Venessa says.

After completing her degree, Venessa was unsure how she could find or afford a place to live as she prepared for her future. Through our Supportive Housing program, which recently opened new units in Harlem, she now has a safe, comfortable, and secure home, along with wrap-around supports that have given her the stability to pursue her future.

“As a youth in foster care, you never know where you’ll end up or how you’ll end up. But now, with [The Foundling’s] support, I have a safe space to lay my head,” she shares.

Supporting young people on their own paths to independence has been at the core of The Foundling’s mission since 1869. Your gift can make a big difference to our community and to young adults like Venessa. This year, your support can create life-changing opportunities for the young people in our shared community.

Make a Donation

December 5, 2024/by Elefant Design

Media Coverage, Partnerships

Staten Island Advance: 500 Turkeys Donated to Staten Island Families at the Gerard Carter Center

The Staten Island Advance reports on our recent Metsgiving event. As they report, the 155-year-old community partner, The New York Foundling, which offers opportunities and programs to over 30,000 people in New York and Puerto Rico, collaborated with the Amazin’ Mets Foundation to give away 500 turkeys to families of Staten Island.

Read more at SI Live

November 29, 2024/by Elefant Design

Media Coverage, Partnerships

Patch: New York Foundling’s “Fall Fête” raises over $825,000

Patch reports on The Foundling’s recent Fall Fête. The event hosted over 400 guests at its Fall Fête 2024 on Wednesday at Cipriani 25 Broadway in Manhattan, and raised more than $825,000, which will go to support The Foundling’s 40 programs spanning education, child welfare, community health and behavioral health, juvenile and criminal justice, and support for people with disabilities.

Read more on Patch

October 28, 2024/by Elefant Design

Leadership, Media Coverage

Crain’s New York: Notable Black Leaders 2024

Melanie Hartzog, The Foundling’s President & CEO, has been named to Crain’s New York Notable Black Leaders 2024 list, which celebrates Black New Yorkers’ success and advancement, spanning industries from law and finance to nonprofits and the arts.

“As president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit The New York Foundling, Melanie Hartzog has overseen the transition to a “one front door” approach that helps families in need of foster care, mental health, education, housing or juvenile justice services access the full range of evidence-based programs provided by the organization.”

Read more at Crain’s New York

October 25, 2024/by Elefant Design

Blog, Events, Partnerships

Our 2024 Fall Fête Was a Wonderful Evening!

NY1: Una Joven Hispana Lidera una Despensa de Alimentos en Staten Island

In a news report in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, NY1 Noticias interviews Delila Nadal, director of our Staten Island Community Partnership, and reports on the program’s weekly Free Market, which provides food and household goods for over 80 families on Staten Island’s North Shore each week.

“When I was a child, my family and I used to use food pantries and it was a horrible thing because they would throw you a box, a bag and that was it. But in this food pantry it is a little different because it is a personalized attention that each person receives,” she explains.

Watch on NY1 Noticias

October 7, 2024/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Media Coverage

The Imprint: Hundreds Have Gathered in New York City With the Goal of ‘Narrowing the Front Door’ to Foster Care

The Imprint reports on “The Reckoning: Transforming Systems to Achieve Family Justice and Integrity,” an initiative headed by The New York Foundling and other partner organizations, which has held gatherings over the past year dedicated to discussing how child welfare organizations can reduce the harm and trauma that the foster care system has caused for families, particularly those in Black and Brown communities.

“Reflecting a significant shift in the social services field, the discussions have focused less on how to remove kids quickly from homes where parents are accused of abuse and neglect, and more on how to “narrow the front door” to foster care. More than 600 social workers, nonprofit executives and staff, legal experts and advocates for parents’ rights have joined the hours-long convenings that began in March,” writes The Imprint.

“We haven’t always gotten it right,” Melanie Hartzog, CEO of The New York Foundling said on stage at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. “But now there’s an opportunity for us to build on that urgency, to really think about a different way of looking at what we call foster care.”

Read more at The Imprint

October 4, 2024/by Elefant Design