Our CHHA Graduates, Top of the Class
Yvette Gary was unemployed when she received an e-mail notifying her of a free training offered by FCS to become a Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA). “I thought, I am a caring individual. This is something I could do,” Yvette recalled. Just a few months later, a very proud Yvette and 15 other women filed into a classroom at Keyport High School to cheers from their friends and family as they received their provisional licenses after successfully completing the CHHA training course.
Seeking Affordable Long-Term Care Solutions? We’re Here to Help
Charles and Esther Haase have been through a lot together. Married 45-years with children and grandchildren, the couple recently faced their biggest challenge; finding affordable long-term care for Esther. “I was caring for Esther at home, full time, but then I reached a point where I couldn’t lift her,” Charles said. “I couldn’t take the chance she would fall and hurt herself.”
Charles knew Esther needed quality long-term care in a residential facility, but the steep cost of assisted living or a nursing home with fees in excess of $90,000 a year was out of reach for the couple. Read more
Restoring Human Dignity with a simple Donation
Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference.
When members of the FCS Navarumsunk Auxiliary donated more than $700 last year to purchase adult diapers and pads for our Home Care clients in need, they had no idea the impact their donation would have on our client's lives.
"When I first heard of the gift, I was overjoyed," says FCS Director of Nursing Kathleen Vourlos. "That may seem like a strong reaction to receiving diapers, but when you think about the inability to toilet independently, you can understand why having enough diapers is so vital to those in need."Read more
Saying Goodbye to a Dedicated Volunteer
Teachers and stude
nts at Atlantic Highlands Elementary School said a bittersweet goodbye last month to one of their (and our) favorite people, 90-year-old Doris Irwin. For 19 years, Doris has been visiting the school to read aloud to kindergarten students as a volunteer with FCS Reading Buddies, a program designed to foster a love of reading and increase the literacy skills of children in undeserved communities. Doris has been with the program since its inception in 1998 as part of the original Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) team.Read more
Saluting our Volunteers during National Volunteer Week
When Harry Scher turned 95 last year, he celebrated by doing something he does every week; volunteering! For nearly 30 years, the Manalapan senior has volunteered with our SHIP program (the State Health Insurance Assistance Program), helping his peers find answers to their Medicare questions. He is one of more than 200 senior volunteers who come to FCS through our Retired and Senior Volunteer Service (RSVP) program, a federally-funded program of The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). RSVP leverages the lifetime of skills and experience of older volunteers to improve the lives of others in our community. Unfortunately, it and all other CNCS programs are designated for elimination under the Federal 2018 budget.
Stand Up for Social Work
March is National Social Workers Month, a time to raise awareness of the contributions of professional social workers throughout the nation. The theme, “Social Workers Stand Up” reflects what most social workers do on a day-to-day basis, stand up for the most vulnerable in our communities.
Arlene Lospinoso, a Woman making a Difference
We are so pleased to announce that former FCS Board Chair and our current FCS Navarumsunk Auxiliary President Arlene Lospinoso was recently awarded the Junior League of Monmouth County’s 2016 Women Making a Difference Community Volunteer Award! The JLMC initiated the award three years ago “ ...to recognize the many valuable contributions being made by women volunteers in our local community.” Arlene was one of 15 women nominated for the award by representatives of area nonprofit organizations.Read more
Gaining Strength through Adversity
Happy Fall everyone! We at FCS are looking forward to the change of season, especially in light of a very challenging summer. Last month over the Labor Day holiday weekend, a plumbing failure caused more than 33,000 gallons of water to flow continuously throughout our office building, flooding hallways, the kitchen, Board room, server room, several offices and our reception area. Read more
Congratulations to our 2016 CHHA Graduates!
It’s not often that a graduation brings so many tears, but the students enrolled in FCS’s first free Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) training class have formed a very special bond. The group of 17 men and women proudly paraded in cap and gown into a Keyport High School classroom on Tuesday, July 26th, in front of family and friends to receive recognition for passing the exams need to become CHHAs. The students came from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, but they brought a mutually-shared enthusiasm to learn.Read more
Fire forces closure of FCS Thrift Boutique
Dear Friends,
On the evening of Thursday, July 7, there was a fire in the building of our Thrift Boutique, located at 307 Branchport Avenue, Long Branch. The fire started in the apartment above the store and we are most grateful that no one was injured.