WCF Donates to LICH

May 24, 2023

Women’s Club of Farmingdale Donates

to Long Island Coalition for the Homeless

Through the efforts of Women’s Club of Farmingdale member, Angelina Dunlop, club members met with Bailey Riekkinen, Director of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (LICH). On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, they delivered over three dozen bags and boxes of accepted items to their Amityville location.

The majority of people experiencing homelessness on Long Island are families that cannot afford rent or find rental units quickly enough in a high cost/low availability rental market. There is also a significant local homeless population of aging single adults and adult couples that were living on fixed incomes and could no longer afford rent. For both homeless families and homeless aging adults on Long Island, most remain homeless in a shelter for over six months, on average, with some households remaining homeless in shelters for several years before securing permanent housing.

LICH has expanded services to continually align with local community needs. These services include street outreach, housing navigation, system data management and outcomes tracking, all parts of what has become the local "Coordinated Entry System." Coordinated Entry is a person-centered, housing-focused approach to streamline access to housing and services and prioritizes those homeless longest and most in need of housing and support.

LICH provides a special Distribution Center, a “Boutique”, that gives people in need a chance to come and pick out clothes and other essential items. These clothing options can range from casual to business attire. All items are free! Clothing is available in all sizes: infant through adult and everything in between. Other items include non-perishable food items and household items, i.e. new bedding and pillows, personal care and feminine care items, toiletries and much more. Located in the Amityville Community Resource Center, 600 Albany Avenue, Amityville, the Boutique is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10AM-3PM by appointment only. Appointments can be made to “shop” or pick-up from the Boutique by calling 631-464-4314.

Items which are given away at the Boutique are all donated by people and organizations in the community year-round with the help of generous volunteers in the community who host drives for us at their schools, places of business, places of worship, and among friends and family. Anyone wishing to donate please check their website: http://addressthehomeless.org for acceptable items. Donation Hours: M-F 10am-4pm.

Through the efforts of Sen. Chuck Schumer, $900,000 in capital funding was awarded to improve the Veterans Community Resource Center for homeless veterans located at the LICH Amityville location.

LICH is located at 600 Albany Avenue, Amityville. Hours are 10am – 5pm. Phone: 631-464-4314. Director: Bailey Riekkinen. For more information,

http://addressthehomeless.org.

The Women’s Club of Farmingdale, a local philanthropic organization, is always interested in welcoming new members. For more information, please email: lodaromanelli@gmail.com. #IAMGFWC

submitted by Maria Ortolani, WCF Publicity Chair