Long Island Non-profit Briefs: December 13, 2002

Long Island Business News, Dec 13, 2002 by Lisa Josefak

The Santa Claus food drive at Hicks Nurseries in Westbury is accepting donations of canned and packaged goods for Westbury Neighborhood House, a community program that helps people in need.

Food drop offs can be made when visiting the store and Santa, but a donation is not necessary in order to visit with Santa.

Santa is available everyday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 24.

For more information, call (516) 334-0066.

Renewed sponsorships for LI Works

The Long Island Power Authority and Adelphi University have renewed their sponsorships of the Long Island Works Coalition.

Both sponsorships were renewed at the $25,000 trustee level. The sponsorships will be used to maintain and develop workforce readiness programs for students on Long Island.

The Long Island Works Coalition connects students and businesses with programs and services including Long Island's Only Internship/ Industry Connection Fair, a free electronic regional clearinghouse for internships; Workforce Summit events and the Workforce Builders Honor Roll; business advisory boards; and parent presentations.

For more information, call (631) 297-3062.

CA grant expands learning opportunities

KICK START, an educational program funded by an undisclosed grant from Computer Associates, will help expand learning opportunities for thousands of children and their caregivers in communities that are underserved by cultural institutions. Families particularly from Roosevelt, Hempstead, Wyandanch and Central Islip will participate in learning sessions within their classrooms and at the Long Island Children's Museum.

The program includes outreach sessions at early-childhood centers, in second grade classrooms and at summer programs. During these sessions, children and their caregivers will participate in creative, interactive learning activities.

KICK START also includes guided visits to LICM, where students interact in 12 exhibit halls and related activities in the museum's studios. The museum visits will culminate in Community Nights at LICM where the accomplishments of the children will be displayed and celebrated.

Emergency transportation needed

St. Charles Hospital & Rehabilitation Center in Port Jefferson is seeking help from individuals who own a four-wheel drive vehicle and are willing to transport essential hospital personnel (nurses, etc.) to the hospital in the event of inclement weather this winter season.

A "ready list" is now being prepared. For more information, call (631) 474-6200.

Rescue the Dream of Christmas

106 Rescue Wing, Long Island's Air National Guard Unit, is seeking help in its efforts to "Rescue the Dream of Christmas," for needy children on Long Island.

If you would like to make a donation, or if you are a family in need of "rescuing" this holiday season, call (631) 288-7605.

Score for FOTA w/Islanders Skybox Raffle

Raffle tickets are being sold to benefit Friends of the Arts with the grand prize winner receiving box seats in Suite R at Nassau Coliseum to the March 22 Islanders game against the New Jersey Devils. Suite R seats up to 14 people and includes food and non- alcoholic beverages. The Grand Prize-winner also receives a Michael Peca signed jersey.

Only 300 raffle tickets will be sold. Tickets are $50 each. Computer Associates donated the skybox for the raffle.

Other prizes include a team-signed Islanders jersey; an Islanders merchandise pack including a hat, a hockey puck, a shirt and four tickets to an Islanders home game; and two signed bobble-head collectors' items autographed by Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin.

The raffle will benefit FOTA's arts in education programs, the Long Island Summer Festival and the Jazz Festival at the Planting Fields Arboretum.

The drawing will be held on Jan. 15 at the FOTA office.

For more information, or to order raffle tickets, call (516) 922- 0061.

Winter March for Music

The Winter March for Music is taking place Dec. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eisenhower Park-Field 6A in East Meadow.

The event is an educational fundraiser benefiting Toys for Tots, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island and continuing music education.

As part of this event, all participating marching bands, as well as all juniors and seniors, will be eligible to apply for up to $20,000 in scholarships. Scholarships are to be granted to graduating seniors at the end of the school year at either the High School Award ceremony or at graduation.

For more information, or to make a donation to the event, call (516) 937-5901.

Grant expands employment opportunities

With the aid of a $675,000 grant, The National Center for Disability Services, of Albertson, launched a three-year program to enhance employment opportunities for City University of New York students and alumni with disabilities.

The program, "Getting Started," will be funded by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. It will be coordinated on all 20 CUNY campuses by Abilities Inc., the employment-services division of NCDS.