Page 28 - 12th Annual Long Island Imagine Awards Program

Diversity,Equity,Inclusion,& Accessibility

Adam Dejesus, Board Member Robert Vitelli, MA, CEO
Long Beach Martin Luther King Inc. New York LGBT Network, Inc.
615 Riverside Boulevard, Long Beach, New York 11561 125 Kennedy Dr, Suite 100, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(516) 240-2230 | www.lbmlk.org (631) 665-2300 | www.lgbtnetwork.org
The LGBT Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is a home and a voice for LGBT
The Long Beach MLK Center’s approach to DEI is centered around inclusive programming people, their families, and support systems in Long Island and Queens.
that caters to the diverse interests and abilities of our community members, while ensuring that
accessibility and physical accommodations are met. Our staff undergo cultural competency Our community centers help LGBT people to be themselves, stay healthy, and change the world.
training, and the Center actively collaborates with local organizations and community groups. Since 1993, the LGBT Network has been pioneering advocacy and social change to create safe spaces
where LGBT people LIVE, LEARN, WORK, PLAY, and PRAY.
At the Long Beach MLK Center, we apply an equity lens across various facets of our
organization to ensure deliberate focus on inclusivity and equitable decision-making. In program The LGBT Network is a leader in creating and implementing solutions to address many of the greatest
development, we carefully assess the implications for our target population with a particular challenges that LGBT people face today – bullying in our schools, discrimination and harassment,
focus on vulnerable groups and those with low incomes. We actively engage and solicit input lack of community and socialization, disproportionate burden of HIV, unsafe workplaces, lack of
from these groups throughout the planning and development phases. Our staff recruitment and housing and service options for LGBT older adults, and a lack of LGBT-affirming and welcoming
selection procedures are designed to improve diversity and inclusivity at every level. Above community services. The realities of unsafe spaces and communities for LGBT people drive the
all, our resource allocation is structured to give top priority to underserved and low-income organization’s efforts to continue our history of pioneering advocacy and social change.
communities to guarantee them equitable access to our programs and services. The LGBT Network operates LGBT community centers throughout the expansive Long Island and
Queens region to reach and serve as many LGBT people and their families as possible. More than
30,000 visits are made annually to access the LGBT Network’s expansive offerings of social, cultural,
health, support, and other programs.
The LGBT Network’s community centers are a safe space and life-changing resource for the tens of
thousands of LGBT and ally individuals who pass through our doors each year. Our Centers offer
public spaces for people of all ages to relax, hang out, study, work, or simply meet new people –
and to access a wide range of LGBT-affirming programs and services offered daily. Special events
and gatherings help to unite Long Islanders and Queens residents and celebrate the diversity and
intersectionality of our communities.
Suzette Gordon, President & CEO Shanequa Levin, CEO & Founder
SCO Family of Services Women’s Diversity Network
1415 Kellum Place, Suite 140, Garden City NY 11530 47 Echo Ave, Miller Place, NY 11764
(516) 671-1253 | www.sco.org (516) 547-4411 | www.womensdiversitynetwork.org
SCO provides vital human services to 50,000 individuals each year, working with marginalized The Women’s Diversity Network (WDN) connects and mobilizes women and gender-expansive
individuals and communities to meet life’s challenges, strengthen and stabilize families, and people of different backgrounds to create positive change through unity and collective work.
improve outcomes. Our programs include Early Childhood and Education, Family Permanency,
Community Health and Wellness, Housing, Residential Treatment/Youth Justice, and Services In a world prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and advocacy (DEIA), the Women’s Diversity
for People with Developmental Disabilities. Network (WDN) shines as a beacon of change, uniting women and gender-expansive individuals
from diverse backgrounds to confront DEIA issues head-on. With a comprehensive approach
At SCO, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is embedded in our DNA. It is our very encompassing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), WDN fosters a nurturing
reason for being. Founded in Sea Cliff in 1895, SCO was established to care for New York’s organizational culture while addressing these crucial pillars through dynamic programming.
most vulnerable children. We have a proud history of identifying populations in need and
building services to meet the need. This includes opening the first group home for large sibling Embodying unity across various dimensions including age, race, socio-economic status, culture,
groups, the only residential facility for youth with developmental disabilities and mental health gender, and sexual orientation, WDN’s diverse staff, board members, and leaders champion
challenges, and the only residential substance use recovery program that reunites women with equity across health, wealth, race, and gender. From educational initiatives to advocacy efforts
their young children. aimed at dismantling barriers, WDN promotes understanding and empathy through workshops,
discussions, and presentations.
So important is DEIB to SCO that it is one of our core values: “We are a diverse workplace that is
intentional about advancing equitable and inclusive practices that foster a feeling of belonging among our Through initiatives like the Maternal Justice Coalition combating racial disparities in maternal
care and the Wealth Equity Fellowship empowering Black and Latina women and gender-
clients and our staff.”
expansive individuals economically, WDN demonstrates its commitment to health and economic
From incorporating DEIB into our values, to embracing equitable hiring practices and anti- equity. Additionally, coalitions like LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety
racism training, to making space for clients and staff to be heard and feel valued, DEIB remains advocate for genuine public safety, uniting diverse voices toward a common goal.
front and center in everything we do.
Operating on the principles of unity and collective action, WDN catalyzes positive change,
As long as there are children, families, and adults in need, SCO will continue to deliver life- proving through its programs and initiatives that a more equitable and inclusive society is
enhancing human services through a DEIB lens to promote equity for all. achievable. From grassroots efforts to boardroom strategies, the Women’s Diversity Network
stands as a testament to the transformative power of unity in creating a better future for all.
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