FHS Supt. Speaks on School Safety Issues

December 6, 2018

FHS SUPERINTENDENT SPEAKS ON SCHOOL SAFETY ISSUES

Paul Defindini, FHS Superintendent, addressed the members of the Women’s Club of Farmingdale (WCF) at their November meeting on school safety issues. Members were very pleased and encouraged by the many and varied school safety programs and initiatives put in place by the Districtwide Committee on School Safety which meets 4 times a year. It was reassuring and obvious that the committee and the school district take this issue very seriously and the community can be proud that the Farmingdale School District are leaders on Long Island in implementing these safety measures.

If downtown Main Street in Farmingdale looks merry and festive for the upcoming holiday season, we want to thank community members, village employees and members and friends of the WCF for all their hard work making it happen. After the WCF Executive Board Meeting on Thursday, November 15, over 25 of Santa’s elves were busy replacing lights and fluffing bows.

Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Farmingdale Public Library, WCF members and community members met to sew “Made With Love” labels on over 60 lap blankets for our homeless LI veterans. Many of these blankets were knitted and crocheted by women’s club members who not only donated their time but also collected new clothing, including leggings, sweatshirts, undies, socks, blouses, hats, scarfs, gloves, and toiletries to donate to our “lady” vets. This program is sponsored by the General Needs organization which focuses on helping thousands of homeless Long Island Veterans and their families by providing basic necessities that are missing in the everyday lives of our homeless veterans.

Project Night Night (PNN) is the signature program for WCF Co-Presidents Parisi and Stanton. PNN donates over 25,000 PNN packages each year to homeless children 12 and under who need childhood essentials. The package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book and a stuffed animal, all nestled inside a new canvas tote bag. Each child who receives a PNN tote bag leaves the shelter owning a book which encourages reading and family bonding, a security blanket which can be cuddled and a stuffed animal which can become a cherished friend. In November, WCF members picked up their PNN tote bags and then returned them at their December meeting filled with a blanket, stuffed animal and children’s book. The club collected over 65 PNN tote bags to donate to the Madonna Heights Homeless Shelter in time for the Christmas season.

Adopt-A-Battalion is a 100% volunteer-based organization that operates year round to collect goods and monetary donations for our service men and women stationed overseas. They partner with several VFWs and American Legion Posts. Once again, members of the WCF saw a great opportunity to support our service personnel overseas that do not have the comforts and conveniences of home. They collected items including dental floss, toothpaste, hair bands, hair brushes, protein bars, cookies, crackers, envelopes and note cards, to name a few, which were then packaged and mailed to service men and women overseas.

Through the efforts of WCF member Bea Ferrari, December was also a time for supporting the St. Claire Convent in Paganica L’Aquila, Italy where Ferrari’s aunt spent a lifetime helping the poor who knock on the convent doors and are never turned away.

With their voices raised in song, community and women’s club members entertained seniors at the Farmingdale Adult Day Care Center with lively renditions of favorite Christmas carols.

submitted by Maria Ortolani