The holiday season is quickly approaching and the best way to spread some spirit is supporting non-profit organizations. Living on Long Island is great but, life here isn’t easy for everyone especially during COVID-19. There are hundreds of charities and non-profit organizations that provide services benefiting the local community in a variety of ways from assisting veterans to providing food and shelter for the needy and fighting diseases. All of these non-profit organizations rely on volunteers to continue to their good work and have adjusted properly to comply with the health regulations regarding COVID-19.Â
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- L.I. Against Domestic Violence
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Founded in 1976, L.I. Against Domestic Violence was the first non-profit organization to establish a 24-hour crisis hotline in the area. Within 40 years of the non-profit organization becoming established, LIADV has reached over 14,000 members and expanded their services to address all aspects of both female and male victims’ lives including counseling, courtroom advocacy, legal assistance, vocational and financial training as well as healing through yoga. They now provide support through their language line in over 120 languages
- Long Island Volunteer Center
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The Long Island Volunteer Center was established in 1992 by Joan Imhof, who was the previous director of multiple volunteer services throughout Nassau County. The mission of this non-profit organization is to provide support and advocacy for volunteer services on Long Island. LIVC also works to increase the capacity of agencies by training volunteer coordinators on all aspects of volunteer management. In addition to speaking out on volunteerism for libraries, community groups and schools, LIVC is involved with many projects and programs throughout the year. These include Seasonal Volunteer Opportunities and Family Wish Lists, Prom Boutique and Long Island Volunteer Week.
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- Coastal Research and Educational Society of Long Island
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CRESLI was founded in the summer of 1996 by a group of experts in marine mammal science, environmental science, education and conversation. The main mission of this non-profit organization is to promote and foster the understanding of coastal ecosystems through research and education.
All members of CRESLI are volunteers who participate in marine mammal research expeditions and cruises, data collection and public education programs while receiving hands-on training from CRESLI’s research staff. On the non-profit organization’s website, there are four main research programs to base your studies off of while also having the opportunity to go whale, dolphin or seal watching on your trip of choice.Â
- Birthday Wishes of L.I.Â
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The mission of Birthday Wishes is to improve and empower the lives of homeless children and their families by proving joy, play and hope through the magic of a birthday party. Their goal is to ensure that children experiencing the trauma of homelessness have the opportunity to celebrate their birthday joyfully, surrounded by family, friends and others who care.
There are numerous ways to help our mission to bring the joy of a birthday party to more than 34,000 homeless children each year. By clicking here you can learn more information about donating money, time, items and service projects. Birthday Wishes of Long Island originally had parties in one shelter, and since then has expanded to serve children in over 81 local family shelters, emergency and transitional housing programs and domestic violence shelters.Â
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- Angels of Long IslandÂ
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Angels of Long Island was established in 2015 and started by Debbie and Brittany as a small group on Facebook which has now increased to thousands of members across Long Island. The mission of the organization is to assist and advocate for people in the Long Island community who are in need of assistance during this troubled economic time. Their goal is to empower people to overcome poverty and live prosperous lives. Even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has planned numerous events such as the 2020 Drive Thru Trunk or Treat which occurred on October 25 and the Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive. Anyone can help promote the organization by volunteering, completing community service or donating goods and services. All proceeds from donations and recycling go back to outreach departments which help run these programs throughout the year: Back to School Drive, Coat Drive, Thanksgiving Assistance and Christmas Help.Â
This holiday season, let’s put an emphasis on sharing love for each other. Helping these non-profits is a great way to start advocating for others and spreading holiday cheer, no matter how you celebrate.