Hempstead Nonprofit Gets $1.19M To Reduce Gun Violence

HEMPSTEAD, NY. — Kathy Hochul gave out $21 million to nonprofits that try to decrease the amount of gun violence in New York Monday, giving $1.19 million to Hempstead’s Family & Children’s Association (FCA) in the process.

It’s part of a grant funding initiative for SNUG Street Outreach programs, a community-oriented approach to reducing gun violence with help from community groups, hospitals, social workers and case managers, all working to break cycles of violence. The end result, officials say, connects people in communities affected by gun violence to greater opportunity.

FCA is a non-religious nonprofit that provides, “help and hope to Long Island’s most vulnerable families, children, seniors, individuals, and communities. FCA’s qualified, experienced professionals know and care enough to dedicate themselves to serving Long Island,” its website reads. According to Nicolle Vasselman, the Chief Program Officer at FCA, the money will allow the nonprofit to continue offering education, outreach, crisis intervention and conflict mediation with at-risk individuals in the village over the years to come.

“We're so grateful to governor Hochul for her continued support of the SNUG street outreach program. We're feeling really great that we're able to sustain these services,” Vasselman said.

The nonprofit officer said FCA uses a community-based approach to try and decrease incidents of gun violence. In practice, that means connecting people with lived experiences with gun violence to people who might benefit from FCA’s services.

“We really believe in the power of people using their lived experience to build the trust needed to build rapport with individuals who then thrive from our services. They gain the support they need. Our team has trains outreach workers, social workers, case management. They all come together to really treat each individual as a unique, holistic person, and so it's just amazing that this funding is able to sustain the connections that we're able to utilize, and help link people to really better themselves,” Vasselman said. “And that's not just here at FCA, but we work with other community-based organizations and partnerships with the Village of Hempstead and other entities to really make those connections for people happen. And so really, the promise at the end of all this is promoting healthier communities, and that's exactly what we're seeing with the SNUG program.”

That idea of helping people “better themselves,” Vasselman said, is at the heart of FCA’s mission to create healthier communities.

“The approach is really from a restorative justice perspective, using the people with lived experience that have been either connected with the criminal justice system or have some connection in a community that's impacted by violence, and using their stories and their professional training to build hope. [It] builds those connections and help people really work towards their own goals — whether that's employment related, education related — building up their prevention, their coping skills, that conflict mediation,” Vasselman said. “It's really creating healthier pathways for people.”

For Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs, the funding signaled an important continuation of efforts to reduce gun violence.

““Governor Hochul continues to make public safety a priority and I’m thankful for her commitment to making our communities safer,” Hobbs said Monday. “The SNUG Street Outreach program has been proven to reduce gun violence through a community based approach. This investment in Hempstead through the Family and Children’s Association will help our law enforcement continue to bring down crime and ultimately save lives. I applaud Governor Hochul for the investments in our communities that produce real results.”

FCA was the only organization in Nassau to receive state money in this round of funding, but it wasn’t the only one on Long Island. Wyandanch’s Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk received $762,683 from the governor, who said she was proud to deliver the funds.

“I am proud to continue investing in SNUG and the community-based partners who are doing this lifesaving work every day,” Hochul said. “SNUG is helping keep neighborhoods safer, supporting families in the aftermath of violence and creating real opportunities for young people to thrive. These teams are making a meaningful difference in communities across New York, and we will continue to build on that progress.”