Fight for Charity supports various charities within the Long Island community including the Long Island Community Chest, Eden II Programs, NewGround, Angela's House, Welcoming Home Our Heroes, and the Ferro Foundation. Come join us for a chance to make a meaningful impact on the world!
The Long Island Community Chest (LICC) was founded by Matt Silver and Jamie Austin, when they realized there were many families that were slipping through the cracks, needing a little help to get them back on the right track.
They wanted to prevent short-term family crises from turning into long-term problems. So they set upon creating an organization that would provide opportunities for individuals and companies to give back to the local community in a positive and uplifting way. Today Long Island Community Chest is made up of individuals and companies based on Long Island who are making a difference.
LICC is an on-going fund that provides immediate, short-term financial support to needy individuals and families on Long Island. It is a 501c (3) nonprofit organization interested in helping people who have nowhere else to turn for support.These are the individuals in the community who have exhausted all traditional means of help.
Fight for Charity is seeking to break its fundraising record in support of Long Island charities. This nonprofit organization has already donated over $1 million to Long Island charities since its founding in 2003.
Long Island Community Chest Mission Statement:
“To establish an on-going fund to provide immediate, short term financial support to needy individuals and families on Long Island, assisting them in returning to their normal life practices.”
For more info about LICC, visit licommunitychest.com
Utilizing a multi-faceted approach, we help our clients break the cycle of poverty, addressing all of the barriers that prevent them from leading successful lives. New Ground offers long-term solutions including the completion of higher education programs by adults and youth, financial literacy skill building, and career development opportunities. All critical life skills are a focus, with clients defining their needs to reach self-sufficiency in the future. Every client has a dedicated Social Worker, meeting weekly to accomplish the steps needed to achieve their program goals. We also help the children and youth in our families, ensuring they are on a successful path academically, mentally and physically to guarantee their future independence.
NEW GROUND Mission Statement:
“Working in collaboration with the public and private sector, NEW GROUND works with existing agencies to better respond to the growing needs and challenges of Long Island’s homeless population.”
For more info about LICC, visit newground.org
Our council, a separate 501c3 nonprofit organization, generates its own revenues through fundraising, our product programs (i.e. cookies), and membership participation. We are one of the fastest growing councils in our membership, much of which is due to providing financial support to girls in many of our most economically marginalized communities. Scholarships are provided for membership, summer camp, programs throughout the school year, etc. It is our goal to ensure that a dollar never stands between a girl and a Girl Scout experience.
At GSSC, we know that girls who participate in Girl Scouting are more likely to:
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pursue higher education
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assume leadership roles in school
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participate in community service (both as girls and as adults)
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vote
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be successful in their chosen professions – whether as small business owners, government officials, professionals in service industries (accounting, law, etc.), and more.
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become leaders in their communities.
Our data shows that participation in the Girl Scouts leadership experience opens minds to the possibilities that lie in front of girls and young women. While making friends and participating in programs, girls are learning to grow into the leaders of tomorrow.
One special part of the Girl Scout program is summer camp. GSSC is fortunate to own Camp Edey, a 90+ acre property along the San Souci Lakes in Bayport, NY. Girls in grades one through nine can attend for a week, a personally chosen number of weeks, or the whole summer. The camp is a ‘no-device’ space, enabling girls to become comfortable with nature and engaged in the outdoors. Girls swim, boat, climb, craft, hike, shoot archery, identify wildlife, play ball and disc golf, and much more all while laughing, smiling, and feeling free. Our girls come home from a day at camp both exhilarated and exhausted at the same time. And the friendships they make are some of the closest they may ever know.
Girl Scout camp is one of the most economical in our region. Yet, many cannot afford the cost ($425 per week for up to 6th grade; $575 per week for teen ventures which includes their trips). A week of camp also includes a year of Girl Scout membership, making it possible for a girl to continue her Girl Scout experience throughout the year. Our scholarship fund has helped as many as 50 families send their daughters to camp each summer with more requests are coming each year. Each family provides financial information and is awarded funding based on need. Our fund is unable to keep pace with the need without the support of private funders. Support from Long Island Community Chest as a recipient of proceeds from the Long Island Fight for Charity will be allocated specifically to provide scholarships to families in need to send their girl to Girl Scout camp. GSSC will track the use of funds and provide a report to the Board of LICC and LIFFC on how the funds were used.
Mission Statement:
Our data shows that participation in the Girl Scouts leadership experience opens minds to the possibilities that lie in front of girls and young women. While making friends and participating in programs, girls are learning to grow into the leaders of tomorrow.
Visit their website at www.gssc.us and follow them on social media to find out more and get involved!
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Michael Magro Foundation is to better the lives of children with cancer, pediatric cancer survivors, and their families, as well as other chronic pediatric illnesses. To this end, The Foundation works to alleviate the financial burden of the family by underwriting the cost of non-medical related expenses with which the family is dealing.
For more info visit www.michaelmagrofoundation.com
The primary program of The Foundation is Life Essentials. This program helps families by relieving non-medical burdens and easing their financial hardship by providing funds for household essentials and non-medical expenses related to treatments for their child. The goal is to ensure that families struggling through their child’s illness can keep their home life as normal and steady as possible during a time of chaos.
For most families with a newly diagnosed child with cancer or other catastrophic illness, the first reaction is shock. Many families realize one parent needs to leave their job to tend to the sick child. However, bills still need to be paid and there is now one less salary with which to pay them.
Through the Life Essentials program, The Foundation steps in to pay household bills and non-medical expenses related to treatment such as
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utilities
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rent
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home heating oil
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co-pays for doctor visits
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prescriptions
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car rides to/from treatments
In addition to checks written directly to pay utility, rent, and loan bills, Life Essentials distributes more than $3,500 per month in gift cards to needy patients and families.
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Supermarket gift cards help ensure patients have healthy food at home.
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Gift cards to large ‘box stores’ help families with the cost of household necessities.
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Gas gift cards and gift cards to Lyft and Uber have helped families bring their children to their scheduled appointments. To the family, this assistance alleviates the financial stress of commuting expenses.
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Gift cards for birthday gifts for the families, a rare dinner out, or even a small birthday party for a sibling who has been in the ‘back seat’ since their brother or sister got sick.
Funds made possible as a beneficiary of LIFFC will be restricted to supporting families on Long Island in need of assistance and support following their child’s diagnosis with cancer or other catastrophic illness. Whether a gift card or underwriting a bill, these funds will support between twenty-five and fifty local families living through a family nightmare. On behalf of all these families, thank you for your consideration of this request.
Eden II Programs Mission Statement:
“To provide people with autism specialized community-based programs and other opportunities, with the goal of enabling them to achieve the highest possible quality across their life spans.”
For more info about EDEN visit eden2.org
Recognizing a growing need for autism services on Long Island, Eden II Programs opened the Genesis School in 1995 and the Genesis Outreach Autism Center; both located on Newbridge Road in East Meadow, NY.
The Genesis School serves students with autism from ages 5-21. Each classroom has a certified teacher and a behavior specialist, a communication specialist and 1:1 teacher aides as needed. The school philosophy utilizes the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to provide research-based teaching strategies proven effective in the education and intervention of individuals with autism. The Genesis School can also provide parent training additional in home service provision.