BULLETIN TEMPLATE (Feb 21, 2017)

Posted by Yvette Hohler on Mar 07, 2017

Today, we welcomed as our guest speaker Valerie Kopetic, Executive Director of Long Island Adolescent and Family Services (LIAFS), headquartered in Stony Brook. This not-for-profit agency, which was established in 1987, began as a grass roots organization in the Middle Country School District. It has expanded to service homeless, neglected, abandoned, and abused children on LI, but primarily in Suffolk County. It has 4 residential fully-staffed "safe-house" sites- with one each in Centereach, PJ Station, Ridge, and Stony Brook- that offer a variety of programs to children in need of emergency placement 24/7, diagnostic assessment, and respite or long term care. Working through the Office of Family and Children's Services (OCFS), this agency provides sanctuary, independent living skills training, education, recreational opportunities, medical and dental services, psychiatric/psychological evaluations, and individual, group, and family counseling. The stated goal is to eventually successfully reunite the youth with their parent(s), if feasible, and to continue to provide on-going support thereafter. After providing us with an overview, Valerie answered many of our questions. We learned that LIAFS does have mentoring and volunteer programs. The average amount of time a child stays at a safe-house is 6 months, but some children stay for years and can do so through age 21. Referrals come mostly through the county social services department, and some of the children can end up in foster care. Every attempt is made to keep siblings together. LIAFS gratefully accepts food, clothing, computers, recreational equipment, and the like as well as monetary donations. For more information, visit this website: www.LIAFS.org or call 631-444-4400.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS:There's now $507 in the pot waiting to be won- and still the Ace of Spades waiting to be picked out (but both Jokers remain, as well). It could be YOU who wins the pot. Next opportunity: our 3/14 luncheon at Cafe Spiga, an OPEN CUPBOARD COLLECTION DAY, when we will also welcome Most Motivated Student of the Month Kasumi Layne-Stasik and her nominating teacher, Deirdre Filippi.***Please Note:Beginning in March, we will change our monthly evening meeting to the LAST Tuesday- to be held at different locations each month. Our next Evening Meeting will be on March 28th, hosted by Michael at his office at Edward Jones, on Main Street in the Village. THANK YOU to our STUFF-A-VAN Volunteers at this past Saturday's event: Tom, Ed, Bill, Dennis, Karl & his Boy Scouts, as well as the 2 RYLA volunteers who also pitched in to make this goods collection a success. Kudos are due especially to the above, because they braved the bitter cold & wind, making this a heroic effort. P.E.T.S. is fast approaching- Michael will attend in Whippany, NJ, on March 24th-27th and looks forward to learning a lot there. Guess What's Coming Soon!!!- It's time to start thinking about and planning for our Annual Raffle Ticket Sales Event- hopefully to begin in April. Northport Rotary is collecting shoes during its "Soles4Souls" campaign thru March 31st at 40 drop off locations. Check this website for a site near you: www.northportrotary.com . Kings Park is sponsoring an "End Hunger in Kings Park" event on April 19th at Kings Park HS from 2:30-4:30 PM. The cost of participation is $40 per volunteer. This feel-good activity involves creating food packages for people in need. Thousands of these food packages can be put together in a very short period of time due to positive team work. You are invited to attend The Gift of Life Dinner Dance on May 10th, 6:30-10:30 PM. This Black-Tie-Preferred (or business suit) event, to be held at The Timber Pointe Mansion (398 Great River Rd.) in Great River, will cost $100 per person in advance, or $110 at the door. The guest speaker will be Robert Raylman. Perhaps we'll fill a table or two. Ed reminds us that most open heart surgeries funded by G.of L. are now performed as part of medical missions in country, and that Gift of Life is currently devoted to creating self-sustaining efforts in places like Uganda, El Salvador, & Haiti. ***Please save this date: May 21st. That's when we will have our Annual Spring Clean Up at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck. Once again, in addition to performing our usual chores, we will be renewing table tops. Prepare for a fun time! Another invitation to remember: On Wednesday, May 17th, the District will hold its Centennial Celebration at Whitby Castle in Rye, NY. [Did you know that collectively Rotary has spent $1 Billion on humanitarian causes worldwide?!]

If you missed today's meeting, kindly inform Yvette about make-ups in a timely fashion.