Since the 1983-1984 league year, The Junior League of Long Island (JLLI) has provided funding through Community Service Fund awards to local non-profit organizations that serve the Long Island Community and align with the Junior League of Long Island Mission. Each year, applications submitted by local non-profits are reviewed by the JLLI Community Service Fund Committee headed up by the League’s Finance Team and President.
This program is made possible through the league’s fundraising efforts, including our largest fundraiser – the Junior League of Long Island Thrift Shop - located at 1395 Old Northern Boulevard in the heart of Roslyn, NY. We are pleased to announce that we have awarded ten organizations with awards for $22,500 for the 2023 –2024 league year program.
This year we are pleased to announce that this was the biggest pool of not only applicants but awardees. President Remi Farnan stated, “It is my utmost honor to be able to be the sitting President of JLLI for this milestone, however, this can only be attributed to our staff and volunteers that make the JLLI what is it, a family who cares for the Long Island Community. Personally, this is the highlight of my career as a Junior League Woman, and I cannot wait to see what else comes from this prestigious organization.”
Please read below about each organization and where the funds will be used.
Allied Foundation
Allied Foundation, Inc. was formed in 2015 by a group of concerned pediatric physicians from Allied Physicians Group who decided to make a difference in the greater community by increasing access to essential resources within their patient populations. Their mission is to improve the health and well-being of people in our communities. Their efforts are focused on four pillars of purpose which include newborn support, community service, community education and early childhood literacy. They have been a community partner and past guest speaker for the members of the Junior League of Long Island this past year.
Our award will help enhance existing efforts to provide 1,500 books to birth – 5-year-old age group children in English and other language titles. Each child will receive up to 15 books and books are to be distributed in the Valley Steam, Rockaway Park, Riverhead and Southold neighborhoods.
Belmont Childcare Association
The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA), provides an early childhood education and development program at Anna House (BCCA’s main educational facility) at Belmont Park for children between six weeks to five years old. The children are the sons and daughters of the New York Thoroughbred racing backstretch workers at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Racecourse. BCCA provides quality care and education 365 days (about 12 months) a year and provides after school tutoring and enrichment programs for elementary and middle school students. BCCA has been the beneficiary of our most recent playground build and a prior Community Service Fund recipient.
Our award will help fund their Children’s Movement Program, which helps their students improve fine motor skills, social skills and listening skills. Their lacrosse program with the New York Riptide will run over the summer months as a clinic series for their school- age program and we are funding a portion of the expense to purchase of any necessary equipment. We will also help fund their summer virtual dance and yoga classes for toddlers – school age.
The Book Faries Inc.
Book Fairies sources and redistributes books to under resourced communities on Long Island and NYC to provide equitable opportunities for children to learn, grow, and thrive. They work with local volunteers and businesses to source and sort books and deliver them to those who need them via book fairs, ongoing deliveries, and custom orders. Since
2012, they have distributed more than 3.8 million books-increasing book access, supporting literacy, and fostering a love of reading. Book Faries is a partner of our Thrift Shop where excess donations of books are then given to Book Faries to support their mission.
Our award will help fund their Long Island public bookshelves project, which increases book access Island-wide by supplying, maintaining, and refreshing book collections at public parks, LIRR stations, grocery stores, pediatric doctors’ offices, health centers, before and after- school programs, transitional housing, food pantries, women’s shelters, and community centers, especially targeting communities who have lacked access to books and face barriers in providing high-quality and age-appropriate books for their children. They will allocate 75% of the funds to key project staff and 25% to the space where we sort books for this project. Our award will enable the distribution of 3,500 books to Long Islanders.
CYO of Long Island
CYO has been providing youth programs throughout Long Island for more than 60 years. Each year over 25,000 children participate in a variety of programs including basketball, chess, volleyball, track, swimming, flag football, field hockey, bowling, art, STEAM, community service and others. The benefits of an active lifestyle have been well documented – improved mental and physical health; better grades in school; life lessons in teamwork, discipline, and hard work through participation in group activities. Families and their children build a deeper sense of community through CYO programs. CYO provides these services in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner respecting the culture and faith of all.
Our award will be used to establish a Junior League of Long Island Scholarship Program that will allow 16 children, whose families are struggling financially, to participate in a season of athletic, social or academic activity thanks to a $150 scholarship per child.
Docs for Tots
Docs for Tots of Roslyn New York partners with Help Me Grow Long Island to promote healthy infant and toddler development screening, free case management, and parent education programs. They serve up to 1,000 family's birth to 5 years old annually with 90% of the families served coming from low-income backgrounds. Docs for Tots has been a new partner of the JLLI in the last couple of years through community shopping events for families and a beneficiary of the Junior League of Long Island Diaper Drive. Our award will help reach 15 families through their Books, Balls and Blocks program held in libraries on Long Island.
This program provides child development screenings and community resources for all those who attend.
One World Girl
One World Girl is a nonprofit organization that equips girls to become changemakers through arts-based learning and community action. OWG has built a roster of programming, offered to elementary – high school girls in the New York Metropolitan area, with participants coming primarily from Nassau County, Long Island. They welcome girls from diverse backgrounds and experiences to learn from one another, build leadership skills, and explore ways to heal divisiveness in their communities and the world. This year JLLI Partnered with Girls Inc. And One World Girl to produce the EMPOWER Girls project attended by over 50 young girls this last spring.
Our award will support the continuation and expansion of their signature program, The Changemakers Council, that serves 25-30 young women in
7th – 12th grade. When girls join The Changemakers Council, they make a substantial commitment of time and energy to participate in all year - long council program elements. The funds from JLLI will be used for the yearly costs of program materials, art supplies, curriculum development, workshop speakers, Broadway tickets and other creative outings, food, travel, staff, office expenses and a small budget for each council member to cover expenses incurred during their Take Action projects. This year's Community Council projects have been center around benefiting the LGBTQ+ community, safe drinking water and girl's empowerment projects.
Port Washington Parent Center
The Port Washington Parent Center aims to provide early educational enrichment opportunities at affordable prices o all of the community’s families. The PRC brings together families in a supportive environment that fosters opportunities for success for both parents, caregivers and children alike. The JLLI award will help provide a scholarship fund to 12 children who come from low-income families so they can participate int their Outreach Program. The PRC's Outreach Program provides developmentally appropriate early-childhood classes and enriching experiences to economically eligible families and their children (birth to 5 years old) from the Port Washington community and surrounding
areas. This program provides families with opportunities to deepen their bonds with their children and connect with one another through meaningful programming run by our knowledgeable and supportive staff.
Women’s Diversity Network
The Women’s Diversity Network connects and mobilizes women and gender-expansive people of different backgrounds to create positive change through unity and collective work. Areas of focus are health, wealth, gender and racial equity, and youth leadership development. The goals of the WDN are 1) educating our communities about issues and policies that challenge our unity, 2) advocating collectively to break down barriers for improved inclusion and advocacy for all, and 3) celebrating our diverse backgrounds.
Our award will help fund their Youth Justice Leadership Program, a 7 - month long virtual program for students in grades 9-12. This program, designed to inspire students to become leaders and active changemakers. Students develop skills and knowledge that are not taught in traditional classrooms, earn community service hours, meet and build friendships with other young people, and develop leadership skills in a fun, exciting way that helps them at school, in their community, and in their future careers. Specifically, our funding toward this program will provide 25 youth with a unique leadership development opportunity and will cover program administration, facilitators, guest speakers, stipends for student-led projects, awards, and travel expenses for youth leaders to attend the in person Annual Diversity Summit.
Sangha Education Center
Sangha Education Center offers heart-centered mentoring for young people and their families who are viewed as at-risk. Based out of Jericho, NY Sangha’s mission is focused on educating the whole-learner by inspiring and interconnected understanding of self, others and the natural world through mentoring and stewardship programs. The JLLI award will help Sangha offset costs for their civic mentorship program where mentors work directly with participants to build social communication, executive functioning and leadership skills through project based learning opportunities.
Throughout the last year Sangha mentors and mentees have been able to volunteer alongside of JLLI volunteers to further build confidence and pride in our Long Island Community at our Thanksgiving Baskets Program and our Birthday Wishes program.
The NEST – Nassau Empowerment and Support
The NEST is a non-profit organization at Nassau Community College that is committed to fostering health and well-being for the students there. They provide nourishment and other vital supports to all constituents of the campus whether it be employees, students and their families. To fight against hunger, volunteers gather and store basic needs and
distribute them throughout campus. These basic needs include transportation to and from campus and a fully functional food pantry.
With the community service funds NEST will be able to obtain MTA transit cards that are able to be distributed to students in need to help alleviate the burden of those who cannot afford transit to come to their classes. Often students drop out of their classes since they cannot afford to go to and from classes despite working part -time jobs, taking our student loans and being on numerous scholarships. Even on Long Island issues like this face our fellow neighbors and NEST works to be there for this special and vulnerable population.
If you wish for further information about the Community Service Fund, please contact us at info@jlli.org. For more details on JLLI Happenings including training opportunities and other community projects please visit us at www.jlli.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @JuniorLeagueLI.
About the Junior League of Long Island®
The Junior League of Long Island is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Tracing its origins to 1951, the Junior League of Lo ng Island has nearly 200 members in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Headquartered in the Village of Roslyn, the Junior League of Long Island is affiliated with the Association of Junior Leagues International® an organization of 293 Leagues throughout the Unit ed States, Canada, Mexico and England. The Junior League of Long Island is designated as a
501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.