The Family Center

Last month #DeerfieldManagement hosted its 2024 Corporate Day, where employees met and mentored young adults from community institutions Covenant House International and The Family Center. Participants gathered for a full day of activities, including a panel discussion exploring Journeys in Healthcare where panelists spoke about their personal experiences navigating their careers; HealthTank, an interactive activity where young adults engaged in a simulation of private healthcare investment modeled after ABC’s "Shark Tank"; a hands-on DNA extraction exercise with Deerfield Discovery and Development (3DC); a strawberry-centric biochemistry experiment with Deerfield portfolio company Pairwise and dedicated small-group mentorship sessions. Thank you to our partners for helping us make a lasting impact on these scholars! *All individuals depicted have consented to being included in photos.

15 years (15 YEARS!!) ago The Buddy Program at The Family Center perfectly matched me with an 11 year old who would become one of my best friends. Eddie and I have grown tremendously and become quite the pair over the ensuing years. We’ve shared so much together over thousands of hours in such a meaningful way that I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. I am a huge proponent of mentorship and encourage anyone to give it a look on any level. This match is making an impact a decade and a half later. Shoutout to Thomas Sisk MBA, SFHEA, CMgr MCMI Aileen Parker, Emily Twomey and Ivy Gamble-Cobb for taking similar paths with me and for being awesome people.

#NARCAN saves lives—learn how to use it this Wednesday, 7/25 at 4 PM! The Family Center is partnering with CABS Health Network to bring another training session to #Brooklyn, led by our own Physician Assistant. Goodies available upon class completion. 🎉

Earlier this week, #TheFamilyCenter hosted a FREE laptop and desktop giveaway, thanks to our partners over at Tech F.I.N. 💚 Our families had the chance to lunch and learn, as Isabella Fiorita from TFC’s Leadership Council shared her tips on Internet safety and navigating an ever-changing digital world. Creating a path for healing, stability, and a fulfilling future is our mission. Smiles like these are why we do it!

"If I could save a life, I'm willing to do that." -Andrea Jefferson, Brownsville Resident The Family Center's Physician Assistant Lisa Tannenbaum was recently featured on a News 12 Brooklyn piece highlighting #NARCAN Training. Held at Jamaica Bay Brooklyn Public Library last month, attendees not only learned how to administer the life-saving nasal spray in case of #opioid overdose, but they also left with #Naloxone kits to use in the event of emergency. Watch the profile here: https://lnkd.in/d3iD5aw5. Two more trainings have just been scheduled for 7/25 and 8/16. More details to follow!

Happy #PRIDE! June is wrapping up, but The Family Center couldn’t let this month end without uplifting the #LGBTQIA+ community. 💚 We hope this month has allowed for more visibility, understanding, and a safe space for everyone to be who they truly are. Check out this blast from the past: TFC’s LGBT Dinner Series in 2018! Back then, the monthly LGBT Dinner Series fostered open, honest discussion and community building among TFC clients who identified as being part of the LGBT community.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Family Center is proud to announce our new Board Chair, Marika Pritchett-Casey! Marika is a Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of Morgan Stanley Investment Management based in New York. She joined Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management business in 2002 and held various roles before joining Investment Management in 2012. Previously, Marika worked for KPMG Consulting, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Exponential Business Development Company. Marika received a B.A. in Communication from the University at Albany. Marika previously served as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors, a position that will now be taken on by Vikram Shankar, former Board Secretary and Fundraising Committee Chair. Vikram Shankar brings over 12 years of experience in the financial services industry to The Family Center’s Board of Directors. He currently is a Managing Director at Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP, a global institutional investment management firm, which he joined in 2010. Teresa Brady succeeds Vikram as the new Board Secretary. Teresa is the Managing Attorney and an Executive Director in the Legal Management Department at Morgan Stanley. She was first introduced to The Family Center through Morgan Stanley’s Strategy Challenge pro bono program, which allowed Teresa and her colleagues to work closely with the organization for several months. Cory DeForrest will continue on in his role as Treasurer. Cory is a financial professional at SPF Investment Management LP and previously worked at Credit Suisse. The Family Center is so grateful for their support and expertise of these impressive professionals and looks forward to seeing this partnership grow!

For the past 30 years, The Family Center has been a pillar of support to numerous New York City families. The work we do is only possible because of the tireless leadership that guides our strategy and programming. Today, we want to earnestly thank our outgoing Board Chair Joel M. Field III for a decade of service on #TheFamilyCenter’s Board of Directors! Joel joined the Board in 2014, moving up to Vice Chair just three years later. In 2019, he became Board Chair, helping the organization expand our services to include becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCHBC) and obtain licensure from NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). Joel was instrumental in the completion of our recent strategic plan, which yielded our new vision and mission statements. Joel will be succeeded by former Vice Chair, Marika Pritchett-Casey.

This week, we celebrate Juneteenth. ♥️🖤💚 #Juneteenth has only been observed as a federal holiday since 2021, which means this official recognition has been a long time coming. Nearly 160 years ago—on June 19, 1865—the end of slavery was solidified in Galveston, Texas, freeing 250,000 people who hadn’t learned they had been freed two years prior, under the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth always serves as a reminder to continually strive for liberation in all ways, for equality for the underserved, and to fight for vitality of our communities. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors.

Did you know that you should get your #bloodpressure checked at least once a year? This past Thursday, we held our second FREE Blood Pressure Screening right in front of our office building! We gave away everything from snacks to socks and sexual protection. On top of that, we connected with the community and shared more about the services we offer. 💚 Missed it? Every Thursday, we’ll be back at it! Join us at 493 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11216 from 11 AM-12 PM.