LICADD's BUDDY Mentoring Program Hosts Social Gathering At Eisenhower Park
On Saturday, June 25, 2011, LICADD’s BUDDY Program will host a social gathering at Eisenhower Park from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. for its mentors, mentees, friends, and families.
BUDDY Program (Building Unique, Dynamic & Diverse Youth) brings together three of Long Island’s premier nonprofit organizations — the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD), the Long Island Council of Churches (LICC) and the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island (MPLI) who have teamed-up to launch and sustain a mentoring program for children in Nassau County whose mothers are incarcerated. LICADD defines “mentoring” as a “highly structured, carefully managed program in which children are appropriately matched with screened and trained adult volunteers who meet one-on-one with the children on a regular basis to provide guidance and support with the goal of establishing a trusting relationship between each child and a caring adult mentor that lasts for no less than one year, and hopefully for a lifetime.”
Lauren Ventimiglia, LICADD’s BUDDY Program Coordinator stated, “LICADD’s BUDDY Program has helped both mentors and mentees come together and experience things that they may not have otherwise gotten to experience. The dedication of all parties involved is truly incredible.” The social gathering will continue to strengthen the mentor-mentee bond that the program has already successfully established. The day will consist of a picnic and various organized games hosted by LICADD’s BUDDY Program and the Girl Scouts of West Islip. The event will conclude with a program-wide kickball game.
Children of incarcerated parents often experience fear, anger, sadness, loneliness, abandonment, embarrassment, guilt, resentment, isolation and emotional withdrawal from family and friends. Family instability, trauma linked to witnessing the parent’s arrest, incarceration and/or criminal activities and uncertainty about the future challenge even the most resilient children. Without assistance, many of these children are at increased risk for poor academic performance, drug and alcohol abuse, unsafe sexual behaviors, and juvenile justice or criminal justice system involvement. According to Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, LICADD Executive Director, “This program is designed to assist families in crisis, while simultaneously breaking the multigenerational cycle of addiction, violence and incarceration that is so destructive to Long Island’s future.”
Youth participating in LICADD’s BUDDY Program xperience new, predictable, attached and sustained relationships with their mentors. They participate in activities that build competence and confidence. The power of the relationships is evident, as one mentee stated, “My mentor is so cool! He plays games with me and takes me to the park.” Youth, their caretakers, and families also gain enhanced access to a wide variety of professionally delivered health, mental health, social, and financial services designed to enhance their quality of life and sense of well-being. Ventimiglia describes the event as “the perfect opportunity for sharing important time with our mentors and mentees as well as their families. It also allows potential mentor-mentees to see the power of our program.”
LICADD’s BUDDY Program will meet at Picnic Area “Linden B” off of Merrick Avenue in East Meadow. For more information on the social gathering and how to participate in LICADD’s BUDDY Program, please contact Lauren Ventimiglia, BUDDY Program Coordinator at 516-747-2606 or lventimiglia@licadd.org.
