Manhasset Community Fund announces 13 grant recipients

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Manhasset Community Fund announces 13 grant recipients
The Manhasset Community Fund distributed 13 grants to Manhasset-area nonprofit organizations. (Photo by Amelia Camurati)

The Manhasset Community Fund distributed 13 grants to local nonprofit organizations that serve the Manhasset and Nassau County communities.

Manhasset Community Fund Co-president Linda Clarke said she has personally worked with many of the organizations that work with the community at large and children in the school district.

Ellen Coughlin with Adventures in Learning said the organization works with underprivileged children after school. (Photo by Amelia Camurati)

This year’s grant recipients are Adventures in Learning of Manhasset, Manhasset Women’s Coalition against Breast Cancer, the Science Museum of Long Island, the Nicholas Center of Port Washington, Child Abuse Prevention Services of Roslyn, Manhasset Coalition Against Substance Abuse, Literacy Nassau in Freeport, Manhasset Great Neck EOC Childcare Partnership, Manhasset Student Aid Association, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center of Roslyn Heights, The Safe Center L.I. of Bethpage, Manhasset Special Education Parent Teacher Association and PASE of Manhasset.

Karyn Browne with Child Abuse Prevention Services said the volunteer-based program goes into Long Island schools for programs with kindergarten students through high school on anti-bullying, date rape, sexual harassment and child abuse.

Browne said the grant would be used to help start a prekindergarten program based on kindness and goodness to continue the organization’s mission: “Working together to keep all children safe from harm.”

Andrew Vanderpool with the Manhasset Great Neck EOC Childcare Partnership said the organization is run out of the Manhasset Valley School alongside Adventures in Learning and offers many programs for children throughout the year, including organizing the 11- through 13-year-olds to work with the public access television channel to learn the ins and outs of television production.

The grant, Vanderpool said, will help pay for many structural improvements done this year, including installing an air conditioning unit for the first time in years.

North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center Board President Nancy Lane thanked the Manhasset Community Fund for the grant. (Photo by Amelia Camurati)

Kelly Siry with Literacy Nassau said the organization has always been devoted to helping adults learn to read, speak and write in English, but through the years, officials realized many of their adults had dyslexia and therefore, so did many of their clients’ children.

Since then, Siry said the organization has been working with both adults and children on their English skills.

“In September, we are starting the first donation-based tutoring center for children with dyslexia on Long Island,” Siry said. “We’re very excited about that, and this will be very helpful in that endeavor.”

Maureen Lavin with Manhasset Student Aid Association said the group works with underprivileged families to help send Manhasset children to college.

Last year, the organization served about 35 families, including an older woman from Manhasset who wanted to go back to school.

“We serve some of the kids that are long-term underprivileged children in Manhasset, but we also serve families that have a temporary issue like a lost job or a medical issue,” Lavin said. “We try to help them as well.”

Barbara Kelly with the Manhasset Women’s Coalition against Breast Cancer said the 22-year-old organization began as a fundraising arm for breast cancer research before members realized they could help lives more directly in Manhasset.

In 2004, the group began an outreach program to help those diagnosed with breast cancer in the area.

“Every year, we help so many amazing women who are struck with this insidious disease and give them a place to go to assure them about the fear and give them hope,” Kelly said.

Reach reporter Amelia Camurati by email at [email protected], by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 215, or follow her on Twitter @acamurati.

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