Susan Sorokolit, 2015 Lifetime Service Award Honoree
2015 FCS Lifetime Service Award Honoree
It is with great pleasure that we will be honoring Susan Sorokolit, faithful volunteer, enthusiastic advocate, and gifted relationship builder, with our 2015 Lifetime Service Award at this year's FCS Gala, "E Komo Mai o Hawaii,” or Welcome to Hawaii, Saturday, October 24 at the Navesink Country Club. Read more
Preparing for Life's Storms
As I write this, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has posted coastal flood watches and warnings due to the impact of Hurricane Joaquin on our area. All up and down the Jersey Shore, residences and businesses are busy boarding up windows, lying sandbags and restocking emergency supplies in the event of possible flooding and power outages. Television news stations have set up live trucks in flood-prone towns and everyone is monitoring the forecast on their mobile devices. It’s an all too familiar scene. With memories of Superstorm Sandy still fresh in our minds, we know the potential damage a hurricane can wreak on our homes, our livelihoods and our communities. Even as we hope for the best, we prepare for the worst.Read more
A "Day at the Races" with Family & Children's Service
On Sunday, August 23, friends of Family & Children's Service (FCS) gathered at Monmouth Park Racetrack for a "Day at the Races," hosted by our treasured friend and volunteer Arlene Lospinoso. Each year, the event seems to draw more and more people and this year was no exception with 140 guests in attendance. The event attracted friends and family of FCS to support the agency. It was a fun filled day of watching the races and included a deluxe buffet lunch in a private Parterre Level 1 Turf Room. Thank you to all who attended and we hope to see everyone again at next year's event! See more photos.
Ladies Night Out
On Thursday, August 13, Kathy Goullet, owner of Lotus Way located at 825 River Road, Fair Haven, hosted a Girls’ Night Out for the benefit of Family & Children’s Service (FCS) where friends of the agency gathered for an evening of shopping, refreshments and conversation. Kathy is also an FCS Board Member. Avery Brighton of Shine Bright Studios volunteered her time and talent, giving shoppers an opportunity to have a professional photograph taken displaying their newly purchased clothing and accessories. Thank you Kathy Goullet, Lotus Way, and all the lovely ladies who attended the event! If you're interested in hosting an event for FCS, give us a call.
The Importance of Gratitude
Authored by FCS CEO, Delly Beekman
Here at Family & Children’s Service, our full Staff gets together formally once a month and included in the agenda is a celebration of birthdays, recognition of work anniversaries and an opportunity to publicly express gratitude to each other for efforts over the past month. It is a ritual that reminds us that “each of us affects all of us,” a phrase that we took to heart during a team-building workshop this year.
Gratitude is very important to me. A quick search on the internet finds a simple definition: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Read more
This Aide of the Month brings Empathy to her Work
Larissa Frenkel knows what it’s like to experience loss. At 62, she has lost two parents and two husbands to terminal illness. She also has had to say goodbye to her only daughter after leaving her homeland for a new home, thousands of miles away.
Growing up in her native Ukraine, Larissa was just 11 years-old when her mother died, leaving her to care for a grieving father and siblings. Running a household at such a young age forced Larissa to grow up quickly and leave childhood behind, but she says, "I did what I had to do."
Celebrating Four Months of Outstanding Service
Family & Children’s Service recently honored four outstanding FCS Certified Home Health Aides (CHHAs) during a special staff recognition ceremony. Donna Moody, Venicia Louissant, Georganna DiPierro and Lydia Rivera were each selected as “Aide of the Month” for the months of March, April, May and June respectively. FCS CEO Delly Beekman presented the aides, all of whom have more than a decade of service to the agency, with award certificates and recognition pins.Read more
Raising Awareness of Elder Abuse
Today, Monday, June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; a day set aside for communities around the world to raise awareness about elder abuse, and to shed light on the importance of preventing, identifying, and responding to this serious, escalating problem.Read more
Celebrating Another Healthy Year!
The school year is quickly drawing to a close and with it, the end of another successful year for Family & Children’s Service’s (FCS) new in-school volunteer program, Healthy Buddies. To celebrate, students at the four participating Healthy Buddy schools were recently treated to an end-of-year party complete with a variety of healthy snacks, of course! Modeled after FCS’s highly-regarded Reading Buddies program designed to advance childhood literacy, Healthy Buddies partners specially trained volunteers, age 55 and older, with students in the classroom, helping children learn the attitudes and behaviors needed to maintain and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Read more
Honoring Older Americans
Happy Older Americans Month, and Happy Birthday to the Older Americans Act! Fifty years ago President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Act into law, creating and funding a nationwide network of services for the aging that help older adults live with dignity in the communities of their choice for as long as possible. At Family & Children’s Service, these services include home care, caregiver support, respite care, elder abuse prevention, and much more. While our services are designed to help the client, in many cases, they also help the family. FCS Board member Brian Duffy explains how the agency's intervention and care more than a decade ago profoundly affected his family.Read more