Long Island Non-profit Briefs: April 9, 2004

Long Island Business News, Apr 9, 2004 by Ryan McCormick

The American Red Cross Nassau

The American Red Cross Nassau is a not-for-profit humanitarian services organization that relies on the donations of others. ARC provides emergency assistance to victims of fires, hurricanes, winter storms, floods, man-made disasters and other hardships.

The organization also offers safety-related courses, including CPR and first aid, and helps military families with financial assistance, counseling and leave requests. For more information, call (516) 747- 3500.

Cancer Care of Long Island

Cancer Care of Long Island, Woodbury, reaches out each year to more than 80,000 people whose lives have been affected by cancer by providing information and emotional support. Cancer Care also sponsors and hosts a variety of fund raisers, and monies go toward cancer research and heightening the public's awareness of cancer- related ailments. Call (516) 364-8130 for more information.

Dress for Success Nassau County

Dress for Success Nassau County helps low-income women of Nassau and Western Suffolk County enter the workforce by providing them with suits, haircuts, manicures and cosmetics, and helping them build resume-writing and interviewing skills. A professional women's group, Dress for Success seeks to help women build careers and become financially secure. Call (516) 292-3900.

Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk

Independently operated, Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, whose mission is to create decent, safe, affordable housing for those who can't afford it.

Since its founding, the Suffolk affiliate has constructed 75 homes for more than 300 people. Of those residents, 200 were children. Averaging 12 homes a year, Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk expects to construct its 100th home by 2005. Call (631) 924-4966.

Island Harvest

Hundreds of times each week, Island Harvest volunteers pick up and deliver donated food to more than 400 nonprofit agencies in Nassau and Suffolk counties, including child-care centers, children's residences, senior-citizen programs, emergency food pantries and shelters for the homeless. Since 1992, Mineola-based Island Harvest has collected more than 22 million pounds of surplus food valued at more than $36 million. For more information, call (516) 294-8528.

Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation

This foundation provides a wide range of educational and social services to individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their families, and to health-care professionals in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn. Call (866) 789-5423 for information.

Long Island Cares/ The Harry Chapin Food Bank

Long Island Cares is a not-for-profit, regionally based organization that works in partnership with other charitable agencies to fight hunger in Nassau and Suffolk. Aside from being a leading anti-hunger organization, LIC is also the only food bank on Long Island. Its stated goals: to provide emergency food where and when it's needed and to sponsor programs that help families achieve self- sufficiency. Call (631) 582-3663.