Page 32 - 13th Annual Long Island Imagine Awards Program

Social Impact

Mike Durney, CEO Jennifer Hernandez, Executive Director
ACDS ECLI-VIBES
4 Fern Place, Plainview, NY, 11803 1707 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 2, Islandia NY 11749
(516) 933-4700 | www.acds.org (631) 360-3730 | www.eclivibes.org
ACDS was founded by families of children with Down syndrome nearly 60 years ago. These
families were advised by their doctors to institutionalize their babies, as was common practice at ECLI-VIBES stands with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human
the time. Convinced that their children could be educated and contribute to their communities, trafficking—offering more than just crisis support. We help build a future rooted in safety, dignity,
they built the agency that became ACDS. Today, our agency serves more than 2,500 people and strength.
with developmental disabilities each year. ACDS provides lifetime services, encompassing early In 2024, close to 4,500 people reached out to our 24-hour Hopeline, and we connected with over
intervention, day care, pre-school special education and related services, social work and family 25,000 individuals through outreach and prevention efforts—educating youth and adults alike on
training, Brokerage/Self Direction and Fiscal Intermediary Services, day habilitation, recreation healthy relationships and where to go for help.
and respite programs for ages 5 and up, sleep away camp and residential group homes. We offer wraparound services including crisis response, legal advocacy, trauma-informed
ACDS prides itself on being responsive to the needs of our community. The needs of our counseling, housing assistance, and access to food. For individuals facing layered challenges like
community are particularly acute around Early Intervention (EI), comprehensive clinical, social mental health or substance use, we provide support that meets the moment—walking beside them
and educational services for children with developmental disabilities, from birth to age 3. Through through recovery and healing.
the ACDS EI Clinic, we connect children with developmental disabilities and their families Our impact is amplified by the partnerships we build. By collaborating with law enforcement,
with expert early childhood special educators, social workers and occupational, physical and healthcare providers, courts, educators, employers, and social service agencies, we ensure survivors
speech therapists. In particular, we focus on families who do not have access to safe and reliable get comprehensive care—without gaps, without delay.
transportation and those who are in unstable living conditions that prevent them from receiving
home-based EI services. Our key innovation is to provide round trip transportation to ACDS in a We also focus on long-term stability. By engaging local businesses and landlords, we connect
fully accessible vehicle, free of charge and with a bi-lingual driver. survivors to safe housing and job opportunities—because rebuilding a life takes more than safety,
it takes support, community, and purpose.
By wrapping comprehensive services in one location, and removing barriers to accessing care,
ACDS is ensuring that the youngest and most vulnerable among us have the resources and tools Whether it’s through youth programs, case coordination, or workforce development, we’re working
they need to thrive. We are honored to be a finalist for the Imagine Award’s Social Impact Award. every day to remove barriers and open doors.
At ECLI-VIBES, no one is alone. We believe in possibility, in resilience, and in standing together.
Volunteer. Donate. Advocate. Visit our table or go to ECLIVIBES.org to get involved.
Judith Factor, Executive Director Carolyn Milana, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Friends of Karen, Inc. Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
150 Broadhollow Road, Suite 112, Melville, NY 11747 est. 101 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794
(631) 473-1768 | www.friendsofkaren.org 1978 (631) 444-5437 | www.stonybrookchildrens.org
In 1978, 16-year-old Karen MacInnes was terminally ill and wanted to come home from the At Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, teams of pediatric specialists—doctors, nurses, scientists,
hospital to spend her last days surrounded by the love of her family, but her parents couldn’t afford technicians, and others—are working together to create a better future for children. A future in
the palliative care that she required. Neighbor Sheila Petersen rallied the community and raised which rapid whole genomic sequencing of critically ill newborns can expedite diagnosis for life-
enough money for Karen’s 24-hour care for the 11 months she survived. After Karen’s death, threatening conditions. Where early diagnosis of Autism and related neurodevelopmental disabilities
Sheila continued the Friends of Karen campaign as a nonprofit organization to assist other families enables families to pursue effective interventions. Where teams are making groundbreaking
caring for a child facing a life-threatening illness. discoveries in therapies for children with HIV, kidney disease, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and fetal
lung problems and more.
For 47 years, Friends of Karen has provided our core Family Support Program to ensure families With more than 30 specialties, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital offers the region’s most advanced
remain stable, functioning, and able to cope when their child is being treated for cancer or other pediatric care. We are home to the region’s only Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Comprehensive
life-threatening illnesses. We serve children (newborn through age 21) in the Tri-state New York Care Center and Suffolk County’s only Pediatric Oncology Survivorship program. We are the
region, as well as their parents, caregivers, and siblings because a child’s critical illness deeply county’s only state-designated center to care for critically ill newborns, and high-risk pregnant
affects every member of the family. Our personalized, comprehensive support is provided during women are transferred here from other hospitals in the region to ensure the best care for mothers
the child’s treatment, into survivorship, and, when necessary, during bereavement. This support and their babies.
includes a blend of financial subsidies for illness-related and basic living expenses, emotional,
psychosocial, and advocacy support. There is no cost to families for any of the professional services Our state-of-art facilities include not only a dedicated pediatric emergency department, but the
provided by our experienced and licensed social workers, child life specialists, and creative arts only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in Suffolk County.
therapists. With offices in Long Island and Westchester, Friends of Karen serves approximately 500 As part of Stony Brook University’s academic medical center, we are educating the next generation
families annually and, since our founding, we have served 18,700 children including ill children of physicians and engaging faculty from the five health sciences schools to bring hope, healing,
and their siblings in over 7,600 families. and cures to children.
We believe every child deserves access to world-class medical care and, as the healthcare home for
hundreds of children, Stony Brook Children’s is ensuring access to that care right here on Long
Island.
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