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A near century-old Huntington-based nonprofit just got a big boost from one of the most infamous CEOs of the 21st century.
The Family Service League received a $1.25 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Fund Wednesday. The 95-year-old Huntington nonprofit is among 32 organizations across the country to be awarded the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund leadership award.
In total, the grantees of the fourth annual awards, launched by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his then-wife MacKenzie Scott, received $96.2 million in funding to help provide food, shelter and support to families across the country.
“We are excited to have been selected as a Day 1 Families Fund grantee,” Karen Boorshtein, president and CEO of Family Service League said in a statement. “For 95 years, Family Service League has been committed to providing effective, equitable and respectful care and services that are responsive to the diverse populations we serve.”
The nonprofit that dates back to 1926 serves 50,000 people annually through mental health counseling, addiction prevention and treatment, housing, job training, trauma counseling, early education, and family and senior support services. On an annual budget of $55 million, it employs more than 700 people and provides 60 programs at 20 locations on Long Island.
The Bezos Day 1 grant, according to the Family Service League’s statement, allows the organization to help reduce the emergency housing stays of households, through housing relocation assistance, help accessing necessary resources and benefits, increased educational and vocational achievement, and home-based case management and stabilization services once permanent housing is secured.
“We utilize a housing-first approach when providing services to those struggling with housing issues,” Boorshtein said. “We recognize that people aren’t able to focus on mental health, addiction treatment or obtaining employment without having basic necessities like food or a place to live. This generous grant will help us expand the scope of tangible assistance we provide to households experiencing homelessness.”
Top: Family Service League’s Riverhead clinic staff, curtesy of Family Service League.
