Community Development Corporation of Long Island

Fall 2019

Autumn provides us with a reminder of how beautiful change can be with all the golds, reds and greens of

the changing leaves. “Notice how the trees do not cling to their leaves. Fall is about releasing the old to

make way for the new.” ~the burnedhand.com.

As the year comes to an end, the FSS Team tends to reflect on the past year and the exciting opportunities

for our FSS participants that are on the horizon! Use your FSS Service Plan to help you maintain and

focus on your goals. Although you may feel discouraged at times, don’t give up. Learn from past ups and

downs, brush negative feelings aside, believe in yourself, and keep going. Imagine all that you can achieve

if you continue to persevere!!

Keep in mind your FSS Case Manager is just a phone call away to provide support,

resources, and a listening ear. We wish you success and happiness in your journey

this holiday season and always!

~ The FSS Team ~ Rachel, Susan, Julia and Amanda

Resident Services Department

Family Self-Sufficiency Team

Resident Services DirectorRachel Seiler

FSS Case ManagersSusan Forman, Julia Orlik, and Amanda Ruoppoli

We Invest in Your Dreams SM

FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY NEWS

www.cdcli.org

1.

FSS Participants: Do you have an idea for FSS News? Maybe you have a poem, a story you’d like to share,

a helpful resource, an article, success story, etc. Your contributions can help others and add interest to

FSS News!

Community organization partners and/or Program Coordinating Committee Members: do

you want to get the word out about your programs and services? (Please see our call for

PCC membership on page 3).

To ‘Share Your Voice’, please contact Julia at 631-471-1215 x 120 or jorlik@cdcli.org.

@cdcoflongisland

PSEG Household Assistance Rate Eligible customers can

save money on every bill with this reduced rate 18-month

program. Please click here for application link to print them.

PSEG Financial Assistance For bill or turn-off issues

please contact the PSEG Advocate at 516-454-4331; visit

psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport.

Island Harvest provides referrals to food pantries across

Long Island and now helps people apply for SNAP over the

phone. Call 516-805-1642. View steps and outreach flyer.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program You

may qualify to have your taxes done for FREE, if you earn

less than $56,000 a year, through the VITA Program. VITA

sites open as early as mid- January and run through April 15.

They offer electronic filing and your refund can be directly

deposited in your account so you can receive it quickly. Speak

with your FSS Case Manager for more information.

Suffolk County Department of Labor Offers FREE job

search support. Call location in Hauppauge 631-853-6600,

Patchogue 631-687-4800 or one of the following partnering

community centers: Adelante in Central Islip 631-234-1049,

Bellport Hagerman East Patchogue Alliance 631-286-9236,

Huntington Opportunity Resource Center 631-385-2305 or

Wyandanch Resource Center 631-643-1957. Visit:

https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Labor

National Leased Housing Association NLHA Scholarship

program for those residing in households that have Section 8.

Click http://hudnlha.com/education-fund/. Check site for an

application starting December.

Dental 365 In honor of Veterans Day, Dental 365 will host

it’s third annual FREE Dentistry for Veterans Day on

Sunday, November 10th from 9am – 2pm. Call 1-877-759-6933

for more information. Long Island locations in Mt. Sinai.

701 NY-25A Suite A1 and Oceanside 3533 Long Beach Rd.

Your Bill of Rights

• To be treated with respect

• To express my own opinion

• To show feelings

• To have friends and outside

interests

• To privacy and time alone

• To say NO

• To refuse to go out with someone

and not feel guilty

• To ask for physical closeness

• To start a relationship slowly

• To be myself’

• To change/end a relationship

• To tell my partner that violence

will not be tolerated

• To not be dominated

• To spend time with male and

female friends against my partner’s

wishes

Refuse To Be Abused

If you need to reach out for support

for yourself and your children or

for legal advocacy in criminal and

family court please contact:

L.I. Against Domestic Violence

Hotline: 631-666-8833

Bilingual staff available

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

We Invest in Your DreamsSM www.cdcli.org

2.

Today a new leaf can fall,

a new page can turn…

Everything has it’s cycles and

it’s time to fulfil that yearn.

~Stuart Young

Melanie Bennett, FSS Graduate

I have been working with my FSS Case Manager for three years. She has become more than a

Case Manager. She is someone that I have confidence in and I trust her advice. She has seen

me struggle and seen me succeed. The information that she provides me has been very helpful

to achieve my goals.

.

“Graduation is a time of completion, of finishing, of an

ending, however, it is also a time of celebration of

achievement and a beginning for the new graduate.”

~ Catherine Pulsifer

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

www.cdcli.orgWe Invest in Your DreamsSM

3.

The Partnership for Family Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinating Committee (PCC) meets 5 x a

year (January, March, May, September and November) at CDCLI. We welcome FSS Participants to

become a member of the PCC. The meetings provide the opportunity to network and learn about service

updates and new programs that could help you achieve your FSS goals. Community organizations such as

PSEGLI, Department of Labor, and Catholic Charities attend the meetings. As a PCC member there

would be no pressure to speak at the meetings but we would welcome your thoughts and input.

If you would like to attend a meeting, or to learn more, please contact Julia at jorlik@cdcli.org or 631-471-

1215 x 120. We hope you’ll considering joining the PCC!

The FSS Team: Rachel, Susan, Amanda and Julia

Crystal Jones, FSS Graduate

This program is very helpful in getting applicants on their feet. The Case

Managers are very nice and informative and take pleasure in your success! I

would recommend this program to anyone who is looking to better their circumstances.

“The greatness of a community is most

accurately measured by the compassionate

actions of its members.”

~ Coretta Scott King

Lighthouse Mission The week before Thanksgiving, turkeys will be distributed via mobile van sites

in Coram, Centereach, Rocky Point, Lake Ronkonkoma, Bellport, Central Islip, Shirley, Pt.

Jefferson, Patchogue and Riverhead. Visit www.lighthousemission.com; call 631-758-7584.

Colonial Youth Thanksgiving and holiday toy program for those in William Floyd School

district. Referrals from the school district are taken first. Please call 631-281-4461.

Contact Your Child’s School Sometimes schools offer both holiday gift and Thanksgiving

programs for their students. Contact your child's’ school Social Worker or Guidance Counselor to find

out if you are eligible.

Family Service League Sites in Huntington (631-425-9694), Bay Shore (631-647-3100),

Riverhead (631- 369-0104), and E. Yaphank (631-924-3741) have holiday programs. Eligibility is

based on school district location.

TRI CYA Tri Community and Youth Agency partnering with Family Service League provides holiday

gift help to those in the Township of Huntington. Call 631-673-0614.

Bellport, Hagerman, East Patchogue Alliance Thanksgiving and holiday gift support provided

to those in their catchment area. Contact Clarine Boone at 631-286-9236.

Town of Brookhaven Interface Program Thanksgiving baskets, holiday toys and winter coat programs

through Town of Brookhaven community organizations. Please call 631- 451-8026.

Check Local Parishes or Youth Bureaus Locate through www.211longisland.org or calling 211

or 1-888-774-7633. Call center is available 24/7.

Great Community Solidarity Holiday Toy Share Also holds a Vegan Thanksgiving event.

Locations in Huntington, Farmingville, and Wyandanch. Visit http://communitysolidarity.org/.

Julia Orlik, FSS Case Manager

Make a list of expected expenses. Set a budget for these expenses. See if you can beat it.

Ease expenses for next year by starting to save in January. Consult with last year’s budget to see how

much you spent, then divide the number by 12. Consider a holiday savings club or set up direct

deposit of a small and easy portion of your income each month.

Shop early; watch for coupons and special offers.

Try doing a grab bag this year.

Gift wrap your skills in a thoughtful way. Are you a good cook? Prepare a delicious meal. Are you

good at photography or drawing? Gift a portrait. Are you a knitter? Create something special.

Give the gift of your time. Give a friend a breather. Offer to baby sit for kids or a pet, or run errands.

Have your children make a short wish list and share it with relatives.

Julia Orlik, FSS Case Manager

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

We Invest in Your DreamsSM www.cdcli.org

4.

Attention Renters ~ Do you want to lower your energy bill and receive potential upgrades to your

residence such as insulation, weather stripping, air sealing, boiler/furnace upgrades, and energy efficient

windows and doors for FREE? Then the Weatherization Assistance Program, for income eligible applicants,

offered through CDCLI may be for you! Share this article and great opportunity with your landlord!

Here is the Process for Renters:

1. Submit a completed application with all supporting documentation. Click here for an application or

contact CDCLI’s Weatherization Department: 631-471-1215 x 102 or email weatherization@cdcli.org.

2. Inform your landlord that there will be a $200 energy audit fee, which will be applied to the required

owner investment.

3. Upon payment of the $200 fee, a CDCLI Energy Auditor will schedule an appointment with you to

conduct the energy audit.

4. CDCLI will develop a work scope based on the results of the energy audit and the job will be put out to

bid.

5. Upon receiving the final cost for the job, CDCLI will notify your landlord of the amount of their

mandatory 25% contribution. So, if the total cost is $8,000, your landlord is responsible for paying

$2,000 and weatherization will pay for the remaining $6,000. Please let your landlord know that

their $200 payment will be applied towards this total.

6. Once your landlord agrees to the work and pays their full 25% contribution, the work will begin!

William Achnitz III, Vice President Home Improvement & Optimization

Now that fall is here, we can take advantage of the fall weather, use air conditioners less, and

start saving a few bucks on our electric bill.

By making small lifestyle changes around the home such as closing the doors in unused rooms, you can save

up to 8% of the heat. Do not needlessly open and close outside doors, allowing cold air to rush in. By reducing

traffic, you are creating a warmer, draft-free home.

If your home has radiators, vacuum all surfaces including hard-to-reach areas once a month. Arrange

furniture with your heating system in mind. Don’t restrict air flow from vents.

Check with your landlord regarding regular maintenance of your boiler and water heater. A routine

checkup can ensure everything is running at maximum efficiency. If it is not, you may be putting yourself at

risk for inefficient energy usage, home fire, or other unwanted disasters.

Take a look at your water heater. If its surface is hot or even warm, some of the energy used to heat the

water is being wasted. Discuss concerns with landlord.

Using these tips can help you save money and stay comfortable.

Donna Craig, Weatherization Coordinator

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

We Invest in Your DreamsSM

5.

www.cdcli.org

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) HEAP will open November 12, 2019. There is one regular

and one emergency heating benefit, that does not have to be re-paid. The emergency benefit will open

January 2, 2020. SNAP (formerly food stamps) recipients call 631-853-8820. All others call 631-853-8825.

For more information http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/. Determine eligibility/apply at mybenefits.ny.gov.

Project Warmth An emergency heating benefit through the United Way of Long Island may be available

starting December 16, 2019 to those who have used their HEAP benefits or are over-income for HEAP. For

intake site locations, please dial 2-1-1 (or 1-888-774-7633).

Julia Orlik, FSS Case Manager

Avoid filled programs. Start applying in January and ask about scholarship opportunities.

•Family Service League CAMP Program Based on income eligibility and by lottery children ages 4-16

may be placed in a summer camp. Call 631-470-6945.

•YMCA Huntington: 631-421-4242, Bay Shore: 631-665-4255, Patchogue: 631-891-1800.

•Project PLAY & St John's Camp For children ages 4-12, in Huntington; 631-351-3089.

•Child Care Council of Suffolk Links parents in need of child care and summer camp with the

appropriate resources. They also educate parents to become better consumers of child care.

Contact 631-462-0303; visit www.childcaresuffolk.org.

Julia Orlik, FSS Case Manager

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

We Invest in Your DreamsSM www.cdcli.org

6.

Achieve Financial Strength!

Help with Heating Costs

Just Ahead

Do not compare your life to others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon.

They shine when it’s their time. ~ academyofhappylife.com

Enroll in CDCLI’s financial education..

Financial Fitness Health & Wealth (4) part class series

explores Budgeting, Banking, Debt, Savings and Credit. Register

for next class series at http://www.cdcli.org/programs/ffhw/.

OR

CDCLI offers convenient online financial education E Home

Money Management. To learn more and register please visit

https://www.ehomeamerica.org/cdcli.

**NEW**

CDCLI in partnership with the

Department of Labor will offer their

Financial Fitness Health & Wealth

(4) class series at the Patchogue

Career Center - November 6, 8, 13

and 15~ 1:30-3:30pm. Registration

link is on CDCLI’s homepage or

Click here.

**After Financial Fitness Health & Wealth or E Home Money Management,

you’ll have the opportunity to meet for 1:1 financial coaching to map out a plan

and empower you to meet your financial goals!**

Julia Orlik, FSS Case Manager

“Live to Love. Love to Live.

Shower the earth with joy.

A grateful life is a graceful life.

Be gracious and hospitable-

It will reap many rewards.”

Thank you to our reader who mailed in

the above quoted words for use in FSS News!

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

We Invest in Your DreamsSM www.cdcli.org

7.

Name: __________________________________________ Number of family members: ________

FSS Case Manager (Susan, Amanda or Julia): __________________________________________

Telephone number: _____________________________ Best time to call: ___________________

Email: ____________________________________________

What are you thankful for?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

We are thankful for our FSS Participants!

Each year, through contributions from CDCLI staff, the Family Self-

Sufficiency (FSS) Program holds a Thanksgiving raffle for current FSS

Participants. For a chance to win a basket, please complete the tear off below

and submit it to your FSS Case Manager, Susan, Amanda or Julia, no later

than Monday, November 18, 2019.

On behalf of CDCLI staff, we wish you a wonderful holiday season, filled with

food for your soul, love, thankfulness and a harvest of happiness!

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program is a FREE voluntary program for

CDCLI Housing Choice Voucher participants that provides:

• One-on-one case management

• Links to community resources such as childcare, education, job training, financial

education and coaching, etc.

• Potential to earn an escrow savings. This is a cash savings account put aside

by NY State based on increases in your household earned income.

• Potential for voucher homeownership

• On-line quarterly newsletter with valuable resources & articles

Here are some 2019 FSS Graduate testimonials:

“This program has given me the financial freedom my child and I have been looking for. I am forever grateful for those who helped me through these trying times.” ~ LaJuna Taylor

“Over the past four years I have been able to gain skills, set goals and repair my credit. I’ve

gained valuable insight/tools in how to be self-sufficient.” ~ Kenyetta Corbin

“This program helped my life to get on track. I would refer this program to

anyone. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it in the end.” ~ Yvonne Young

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

We Invest in Your DreamsSM www.cdcli.org

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number(s): ____________________________________________________________

Best Time to Call: _____________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________

8.

Calling all CDCLI Housing Choice Voucher Holders…

We Welcome you to Come Learn about the FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY (FSS) PROGRAM to start gaining greater economic independence!

Invest in yourself and your family!

To find out more about the FSS Program please contact Susan at 631-471-1215 x 213

or sforman@cdcli.org, or return this tear off with your recertification packet today!

Onward

and

Upward!