Family & Children’s Association, one of Long Island’s largest nonprofit health and human services organizations, recently hosted a successful Fall Harvest Celebration at the Heritage Club at Bethpage. Elisa DiStefano, Newsday Media Group Senior Lifestyle Host emceed the celebration, which included inspirational stories from FCA clients and honorees.
The event raised $350,000 that will bolster critical programs and services that annually support more than 35,000 Long Islanders.
“With the pressures of increased prices for basic necessities across the board and greater demand for mental health and other support services in the aftermath of COVID-19, our work is even more vital to underserved communities across Long Island,” said Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, FCA president and CEO. “We simply could not sustain the critical programs that enhance the lives of children, young adults, seniors and families without the generosity of our supporters. This financial support is an affirmation of the impact we have, and we are immensely grateful for every dollar.”
This year’s honorees included John and Rose Dionisio of Garden City. John is the co-founder and vice chairman of Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc. GISI firms recently completed construction of a new engineering building at Hofstra University and are currently completing work on the Grand Central Long Island Railroad station and new terminal projects at JFK.
Anthony Rizzuto received the James J. Harnett Humanitarian Award. Rizzuto has more than 21 years of service in the substance use disorder field and has made tremendous contributions to harm reduction and recovery programs that help individuals and families struggling with substance use.
FCA bestowed its Carol Wessel Humanitarian Award to Rea Gjenashi and Joanna Peng, outstanding middle school students who have worked to educate their classmates about homelessness with informative multimedia presentations, a written book, and donation drives to help young people experiencing homelessness.
The Harvest Celebration was attended by local government and business leaders, donors, beneficiaries, volunteer and friends. All proceeds from the Fall Harvest Celebration will benefit FCA programs and services for Long Island’s underserved children, families, seniors and communities.
