Winter 2012 Newsletter
InvestingChange in
Celebrating over 30 years of helping Long Islanders make a difference
Ready or not? You know that good feeling you get when you help make things better? This newsletter looks at grants that were made possible in large part by generous Long Islanders who want to make a difference—and set up endowed funds with us. To find out how you can leave your own legacy, contact Marie Smith, Director of Donor Relations & Communications at (516) 348-0575, ext. 223 or msmith@licf.org.
They say with age comes wisdom, but did you know that about 90 percent of a child’s brain development occurs before age five? That’s when a child develops the ability to crawl, speak, eat, laugh and walk. Babies are born learning, making the early years a critical period for preparing children for school and life. The significance of the first years of life is well established. Many studies demonstrate that pre-k learning reduces the need for remedial education and grade repetition, and cuts dropout rates and juvenile crime. Yet, surprisingly, a recent poll from Stony Brook University Center for Survey Research reveals that only 16 percent of Long Islanders believe that these early years should be a high priority for education funding. Progress in addressing school readiness has been slow.
Photo by Early Years Institute.
Inside 2 LI Sewers get graded 3 2011 grant highlights 4 Other grants
The Early Years Institute (EYI) has worked to improve the quality of early childcare and education on Long Island since 2002. Originally launched by a collaborative fund initiated by the Long Island Community Foundation, EYI educates all of us — parents, professionals and the public — about the importance of the early years, and brings together community leaders to make bold investments in children from birth to age eight. With grants totaling $50,000 over two years, the Long Island Community Foundation has been helping EYI
Young children need loving families and caretakers, stimulating and safe environments, and quality services to become successful adults. Photo by EYI.
educate the public about the importance of children’s early years and the need to prepare them for kindergarten, regardless of income, race, or school district. Its mission directly ties to LICF’s priority to ensure quality education for all of Long Island’s students. “Through its diverse partnerships, relationships, and expertise, EYI is positioned to lead a campaign that improves early learning environments and school readiness across Long Island,” said Sol Marie Alfonso-Jones, LICF program officer. “It can begin to deal with some of the disparities and inequities that exist in schools across Long Island.”
After some map plotting and identifying neighborhood vulnerabilities such as poverty levels, available health services, parks, etc., the result was a graphic representation of factors in the district that put young children at a disadvantage, and a road map for where and how to allocate new programs, improve service coordination, and increase community involvement. EYI then convened a team of community leaders, parents, educators, health workers, and childcare providers to begin creating a community-led intervention strategy, and to take ownership of its implementation and outreach plan.
“This year, with generous funding from LICF, our Westbury Leadership Team will implement intervention strategies to address the vulnerabilities identified by the EDI,” says Dana Friedman, president of EYI. “We will draw on the experiences in Westbury to develop a campaign to improve school readiness on Long Island.”
Grasping a bottle; first words; staggering steps; responding to a mother’s voice. What do these things have in common? All of them are examples of a Using polling, data collection, Community young child’s developmental Cafès — parent-hosted gatherings “steps” forward. Last year, EYI piloted the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a methodology to assess children’s school readiness, in the Westbury school district. EYI worked with kindergarten teachers on the methodology, which measured their students in five areas to determine their overall school readiness: physical health, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge.
where people participate in guided conversations — and focus groups, EYI will create a work plan to launch the campaign, including a plan for creating a school-ready neighborhood; a communications approach; parent involvement and community capacitybuilding activities; a regional school readiness leadership team; and a plan for expanding the EDI model to other communities. “It’s all very exciting,” Friedman continues. “LICF ‘gets it’ and we are grateful for the grant that will help us implement this systemic change in Long Island’s early education.” n
1
These environmental science students are pulling out invasive saplings. A grant to the Caumsett Foundation helped start an invasive plant- management practices program for grasslands preservation.
LI Sewers Get Graded nitrogen discharge and the installation of energy-efficient systems helped achieve the high mark. Huntington, one of three plants in the study that conducts community education tours, and Riverhead (it only got a B), received high marks for being the only towns in the study supporting a federal law that would require public notification of sewage spills.
John Pavlik, Sr. Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator & Maureen Dolan Murphy, Programs Manager for CCE during tour of Huntington’s Plant.
With a grant of $25,000 from LICF, Bergen Point 86 B+ Citizens Campaign Patchogue 84 B for the Environment Riverhead 81 B Glen Cove (CCE), a nonprofit 79 C+ Cedar Creek 73 C advocacy organizaPort Jefferson 71 C tion in Farmingdale, Stony Brook 67 D analyzed and Long Beach 66 D graded 10 sewage Bay Park 66 D treatment plants (STPs) across Nassau and Suffolk counties and uncovered some frightening data in the first-ever Long Island Sewage Report Card. Nearly half of the STPs barely made the grade, with three receiving a “D” grade. STP
Score
Grade
Scoring Guide
Huntington
97
A+
96-100 A+ 90-95 A 86-89 B+ 80-85 B 76-79 C+ 70-75 C 60-69 D <59 F
“Frankly, Long Island’s sewage woes are frightening,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of CCE. “We are hopeful this report card will provide the public and policy makers with greater information to help formulate and advance wastewater infrastructure that will sustain our island and our quality of life. We are grateful for the grant from LICF in help making this happen.”
Violation Points
1-20- 5 pts 21-40- 4 pts 41-60- 3 pts 61-80- 2 pts >80- 1 pt
Aging and dilapidated sewage treatment plants jeopardize human health, close beaches, harm fish and wildlife, and cost taxpayers and municipalities millions of dollars. When sewage infrastructure is not maintained, millions of gallons of undertreated or raw sewage containing harmful contaminants can be released into our groundwater, surface water, beaches and bays. Bay Park Sewage Plant has been ranked among the worst on Long Island, according to CCE’s report. The report analyzed permit violations in the last five years for all ten plants and personal interviews and tours were conducted with management staff of each facility. Violations were separated into two categories: overdue violations and water quality violations. The Town of Huntington’s sewage treatment plant garnered an A+ rating. An $18 million improvement project that reduced the plant’s
2
On October 31, CCFE released the report card to the press, municipalities, and the public.
The report also included a “Homeowners Guide” on what steps individuals should be taking to improve the wastewater treatment process and a section on Extreme Storms and how they are affecting our sewage treatment plants. “Long Island depends on its bodies of water for its economy, recreation, and sustenance. Critical estuaries have been harmed by poorly performing sewage treatment plants, to the detriment of fish and plant habitat, as well as the residents and businesses that rely on them,” says Sol Marie Alfonso-Jones, LICF program officer. “CCE has used report cards effectively to encourage Long Island’s municipalities to comply with their own environmental policies.” CCE is currently in the process of launching a state-wide public education campaign to pass legislation requiring mandatory public notification when there is a sewer spill or overflow. They will be using the Report Card and other data collected through their research to promote this legislative effort. n
2011 Grants Preserving Grasslands One of the biggest threats to native grasslands is invasive plants. They harm the environment by invading natural ecosystems, displacing the native flora and affecting wildlife that depends on local vegetation for food or habitat. Across America, the economic consequences are reflected in losses in crops, fisheries, and tourism — nearly $34.7 billion each year. Once a prominent feature of Long Island’s landscape, grasslands are the most threatened and most rapidly disappearing habitat in the region. Large-scale decline of Long Island’s grasslands have resulted in a dramatic reduction in bird species, as well as several moth and butterfly species. The volunteer-run Caumsett Foundation provides educational programs, recreation, and historic and environmental preservation of the Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. With a $20,000 grant from LICF, Caumsett is launching a three-year effort to use herbicide-free weedcontrol methods, eradicating invasive plants and re-establishing native grasslands on a 25-acre project site in the Park.
Putting the COOL in Food Pantries Hunger relief programs on Long Island have faced a 21 percent increase in demand over the past three years. Annually, nearly 300,000 Long Islanders receive emergency assistance from food pantries and soup kitchens. But many local food programs are able to stock only a limited selection of non-perishable canned and packaged goods because they don’t have refrigeration equipment. These foods are not particularly appealing and don’t provide the nutritional value of fresh perishable and frozen foods. Island Harvest is one of Long Island’s largest hunger relief organizations, last year distributing 8 millions pounds of food to a network of 570 Long Island feeding programs. A $25,000 grant from LICF is helping Island Harvest buy and install refrigerators, freezers, and shelving, resulting in increased food storage capacity for 22 local hunger relief agencies. The equipment will give more than 7,200 feeding program clients a wider choice of nutritious perishable and frozen foods.
Photo left to right: NuHealth Foundation accepts a $50,000 check to combat childhood obesity at Roosevelt Middle School: Dr. David Fagan, acting chairman, NuHealth Pediatrics; Dr. Mark Jacobson, Director Lipid Disorders, NuHealth Pediatrics; Dr. Robert Tucker, Principal, Roosevelt Middle School; Deidra Parrish Williams, Executive Director, NuHealth Foundation; David Okorn, Executive Director, Long Island Community Foundation.
Tackling Childhood Obesity on Long Island
Access to Quality Education for All
Forty-four percent of Roosevelt Middle School 6th and 8th grade students are overweight or obese, putting them at high risk for serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and other life-threatening illness as adults. Helping kids keep their weight in check protects them now and for the rest of their lives. Ways to reduce childhood obesity is to improve diet and increase exercise. With a $50,000 grant from the LICF, NuHealth Foundation will work with the Roosevelt School District to implement a program that will teach kids about healthy living through classroom curriculum and schoolbased family events. Students will participate in physical exercise programs at school and be encouraged to continue fitness and physical activities at home. “By targeting children at risk and giving them the tools for weight management — access to a primary care provider, healthier nutrition and fitness — we could potentially change the lives of middle school students, helping them learn a new way of life with regard to good nutrition and exercise,” noted David Fagan, MD, acting chair of pediatrics at NuHealth. n
Friends of Limsat, $45,000 to start the Long Island Regional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Hub.
Other Grants: Environmental Stewardship American Farmland Trust, $30,000 to encourage specialty crop farmers to adopt nutrient-management practices that reduce the harmful environmental effects of nitrogen. Connecticut Fund for the Environment, $20,000 to raise public support for a Long Island Sound restoration plan. Long Island Pine Barrens Society, $35,000 to launch year one of a multi-year education and advocacy process to create a Long Island Water Quality Protection Plan. Nassau Land Trust, $15,000 to support a community education center on organic farming. Operation Splash, $20,000 to support community involvement in addressing water pollution in the South Shore Estuary.
Cradle of Aviation Museum, $20,000 to support a career exploration program at the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Magnet School. Erase Racism, $20,000 to support the Education Equity Campaign, a program promoting policies and practices that support equal access to quality public schools. Family Service League, $20,000 to develop and expand the Brentwood Community School. The After School Corporation, $15,000 to start a professional development program focused on science instruction for after-school staff in Long Island schools.
Children’s Emotional & Physical Health Child Abuse Prevention Services, $25,000 to begin a bullying prevention/intervention program in three Long Island schools. Long Island Gay And Lesbian Youth, $20,000 to expand a program that deals with the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. The Retreat, $20,000 to prevent violence among teenage males. Winthrop University Hospital, $50,000 to support a child life specialist — a trained professional promoting effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities — who will work with needy families at the Hempstead Pediatrics Practice. Youth Environmental Services, $7,000 to support the Violence is Preventable (VIP) project.
Supporting the Arts East End Arts and Humanities Council, $10,000 to support the continuation and expansion of public art education and networking forums for East End arts organizations. Nassau County Museum of Art, $15,000 to support the Museum’s education programs.
Helping Nonprofits Thrive Adelphi University School of Social Work, Long Island Center For Nonprofit Leadership, $40,000 to support a new array of organizational capacity-building programs and services for Long Island nonprofits. Bar Association of Nassau County Fund, $15,000 to expand a project that provides free legal information and assistance in foreclosure matters. Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect, $15,000 to support the merger of two organizations to improve services for victims of family violence. Hempstead Boys & Girls Club, $6,000 to help an important youth organization cultivate and increase its donor base. Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, $20,000 to advocate for prompt contracting and payments to nonprofits in Nassau County. Huntington Youth Bureau, $5,000 to provide a series of fundraising workshops for Huntington Youth Bureau agencies and their board members. Mental Health Association in Suffolk County, $15,000 to support the merger of two mental health agencies. (continued on back)
Achieve Immortality! Create your own permanent philanthropic legacy — a legacy that will make charitable gifts in your name, forever, to help the Island you love and the causes you care about. Set up an endowed fund in the Long Island Community Foundation. To learn more, call (516) 348-0575, ext. 223.
3
Other Grants: (continued page 3)
Long Island Council of Churches, $27,000 to support an emergency food pantry in Freeport.
Federation of Organizations for the New York State Mentally Disabled, $15,000 to support the expansion of a volunteer program that provides services to homebound seniors in Nassau County.
Food & Shelter on Long Island
Better Health Care & Special Needs
Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation, $10,000 to enable individuals with Alzheimer’s disease to participate in socialization and cognitive stimulation programs.
Pronto of Long Island, $20,000 to support “Almost Home,” a project that provides food and shelter to the homeless in Bay Shore and neighboring communities during the winter months.
Community Investments
Vision Long Island, $15,000 to support advocacy and coalition-building efforts that will direct public investments to support transit-oriented development projects.
Rotacare, $20,000 to establish a quality assurance program for a health center that provides free medical care to uninsured Nassau County residents.
One Region Fund, $30,000 to support a funders’ collaborative that promotes transitcentered development in the tri-state region.
Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD), $15,000 to expand People United to Stop Heroin on Long Island (PUSH-LI) – a parent lead advocacy group.
Southampton Hospital Association, $50,000 to implement an electronic medical and dental records management system at the Shinnecock Health Clinic.
Mission The mission of the Long Island Community Foundation is to enhance the well-being of the people and communities of Long Island.
Investing in Change Published by Long Island Community Foundation 1864 Muttontown Road Syosset, NY 11791 www.licf.org David M. Okorn, Executive Director (516) 348-0575 x226 dmokorn@licf.org Marie C. Smith, Director of Donor Relations & Communications (516) 348-0575 x223 msmith@licf.org
4
InvestingChange in
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 49 Jericho, NY
1864 Muttontown Road Syosset, NY 11791
Long Island Community Foundation