Every year, thousands of unwanted kittens are born. Please help end the cycle and Beat the Heat! During the month of February, Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton will spay your female cat for just $20. It's limited to the first 240 cats, so don't wait- and don't let your cat have another litter of unwanted kittens this spring. For details and to make an appointment, call (631) 727-7797 or click here. Be sure to mention "Beat the Heat" to receive this special $20 offer.
Youth Soccer for a Cure is a charity tournament to benefit Long Island children's charities and childhood cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. It's taking place during President's Week this February, hosted by Lake Grove Triangle Soccer at KK Athletics in Farmingville. The entire Long Island soccer community is invited to take part! Cost is only $325 per team to play a minimum of 4 games on KK Athletics' new indoor turf fields. Registration is now open! To sign up your team, click here.
Did you know that about one of every seven adults on Long Island can't read or write well enough to function fully in society? You can help make a difference! Literacy Suffolk is looking for volunteers to train as certified literacy tutors. Free training workshops are coming up! To find out more, call (631) 286-1649 or click here.
You can help support Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk by shopping at its ReStore in Ronkonkoma. The ReStore sells donated items for your home, like building materials, appliances, home furnishings and much more, and sells them at greatly reduced prices, with all proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity right here on Long Island. Come visit their new kitchen showroom! The ReStore keeps perfectly good construction and home improvement items from winding up in landfills, and the bargains are amazing. It's located at 2111 Lakeland Avenue in Ronkonkoma. To find out more, call (631) 226-8021 or click here.
The Foster Grandparent Program matches senior volunteers with children with special needs at schools throughout Suffolk County. Foster grandparents assist kids with emotional or academic difficulties, and help at-risk children reach their full potential. Volunteers are needed! If you would like to join in the Foster Grandparent’s 35 year tradition in Suffolk County by becoming a volunteer or if you feel your school could benefit from this service, please call Jessica Acevedo at the Federal of Organizations at (631) 321-8229 extension 1224. For more information about the Foster Grandparent Program, click here.
Just because you're a good swimmer doesn't mean you don't have to wear a life jacket while boating. Just the opposite- wearing a life jacket can save your life, and it's the law! The Moriches U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary here on Long Island has seasonal safety tips and other information for boaters, constantly updated on their Facebook page. To visit their page, click here.
There are 110,000 children on Long Island who don't know where their next meal will come from. There are ways to help and it can be as easy as telling someone else. To find out more, click here.
Did you know that approximately one of every seven adults on Long Island doesn't have the literacy skills to function fully in society? You can help! All you need is a high school diploma, two hours a week and the desire to help. Literacy Suffolk and Literacy Nassau will provide confidential Tutor Training. For more information on a training workshop near you, in Nassau call (516) 867-3580 or visit www.literacyNassau.org or in Suffolk call (631) 286-1649 or visit www.LiteracySuffolk.org.
Do you know a child who talks freely at home but freezes up in other situations, like in school or out in public? Does it seem like much more than just shyness? Selective Mutism is a severe social anxiety disorder that makes it impossible for children to speak in certain social situations or public places. Selective Mutism is NOT defiant behavior and doesn't disappear as a child gets older. Help stop these children from suffering in silence. If you think you know a child who may have Selective Mutism, call the Selective Mutism Group at (631) 661-1771 or visit www.selectivemutism.org.
Is a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, 100-mile bike ride or adventure hike on your list to do this year? If so, Team In Training is for you. Team In Training helps the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services. Meet your personal goals and help add to the $1 billion in funds already raised through Team In Training. Receive training from certified coaches and access to valuable clinics. For more information, call (631) 752-8500 or visit www.teamintraining.org.
211 Long Island is a free non-emergency information and referral service that connects Long Island residents with nearly 10,000 community resources they may need on a daily basis or during a disaster- from food, heat and shelter to job training, financial services, child or elder care, and much more. It's available by phone or online. The 211 Call Center operates 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm. Just dial 211 or (888) 774-7633, or click here.
The Suffolk County Respite Care Program provides caregivers with a well-deserved break from the emotional and physical stresses of caring for an individual 60 years of age or older who may be frail, disabled, or in need of assistance. Let one of their trained Respite workers help you. For more information, call the Federation of Organizations at (631) 321-8229 ext 1229 or visit www.fedoforg.org.
Contractors for Kids is a non-profit corporation on Long Island that has a simple goal: To help families that are facing a financial crisis because of the illness of a child. One family at a time, they want to make sure that the financial hardship brought on by a sick child does not destroy an already hurt family. You can help. Call (888) 208-KIDS or visit www.contractorsforkids.org.
A lot of people need a little extra economic help these days, and it's now available in the evening in Suffolk County. The Suffolk Department of Social Services now has evening hours scheduled at all four of its service centers. Each center is now open one evening per month. This gives working people who can't get to the centers during the day, to still have access to services like fuel assistance, food stamps, housing and other social services and programs during evening hours. For more information about evening hours and service center locations, call (631) 854-9935 or visit the Suffolk County website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov and follow the links. In addition, the New York State website at www.mybenefits.ny.gov is a quick and easy way to find answers to questions about New York State's programs and services.
10 years ago this March, Louis Acompora was wearing #12 and was captain of his high school lacrosse team here on Long Island. During the first game of the season, his heart stopped and he couldn't be revived because there was no automatic external defibrillator or AED on site. Since then, Louis's Law requires schools and all first responders to be equipped with AEDs. The 12 For Life NYS campaign is now raising money to put AEDs in every one of the thousands of group homes across New York state that can't afford this extra measure of safety for people with special needs. If each of us donates $12, they can do it! For details, call (516) 870-1661 or visit www.12forlifeNYS.org.
More than 1.5 million people suffer from Parkinson's Disease. Fr. Tom Hartman, formerly of the God Squad, needs your help to fund the critical medical research necessary to find the cure for Parkinson’s. To make a donation, call the Thomas Hartman Foundation at (631)277-9655 or visit www.hartmanfoundation.org.
Join the fight against pancreatic cancer by donating to the Lustgarten Foundation. 100% of every donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research. They'll find a cure soon, with your help. To find out more, visit www.curepc.org.
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