The Ministries Services
EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY
Provides a 3-day supply of nutritionally balanced meals to individuals and families in need. Also provides holiday toys and "adopt-a-family" for the holidays program. Special assistance to the homeless. Did you know that one out of every four children on Long Island goes to bed hungry? More than 9,000 of our hungry neighbors are fed each year. Food pantry open Monday - Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:30. Identification required for all family members.
Who comes to our pantry? The answer is as varied as Long Island's diverse population. Families who have been struck down by serious illnesses, corporate downsizing, disability, or other catastrophic events. Single parents struggling to maintain a
household. Teenage mothers with young babies. Families affected by AIDS. Chronically mentally ill homeless men and women who are
on the streets due to the de-institutionalization of the mentally ill and closing of State Psychiatric Centers. Who comes to our
pantry? People like you and me. Families like your's and mine.
Service is provided free of charge.
SEABURY BARN
Seabury Barn is a co-ed, short-term shelter for runaway, abused, neglected, and homeless youth who are between the ages of 12 and 17. Residents are provided with shelter, case management services, meals, clothing, medical care, tutoring. family and individual counseling, recreational activities, and genuine caring and support in a non-judgmental home-like environment. The program was established to provide emergency shelter, counseling, advocacy and planning for long-term housing. The program operates 7 days a week, 24 hour supervision, and is part of Suffolk County's comprehensive Runaway Network. The Network includes Town Runaway Programs, and operates in conjunction with the Suffolk County Police, and other youth-serving agencies. In addition to referrals from the Township Runaway Programs, Suffolk County Police, parents, schools, and other youth-serving agencies, self referrals are always welcome.
Quite simply, The Barn is a temporary sanctuary for children when they can't go home, and it is a place where family reconciliation is encouraged and supported. The household is run as a therapeutic community, meaning ... The emphasis is placed on creating an atmosphere of growth, caring, and sharing of those problems confronting society and the adolescent. To cross generation gaps through knowledge and respect. To enhance individual growth and provide skills in communicating with others. Residents are encouraged to help one another reach their individual goals. In this way, they not only hear about, but get to share in a positive growth experience.
Service is provided free of charge.
YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES
Professional counselors assisted by graduate social work students from local universities work to fortify the family structure, establish values, define objectives, and offer solutions to troubled youth, up to age 21, and their families. We also arrange camp scholarships for needy children.
Services are provided free of charge.
ADULT COUNSELING
Short-term crisis counseling is offered to adults expressing feelings of hopelessness, depression, loneliness, despair, or mid-life challenges and to couples seeking marital counseling by professional counselors and social workers.
Modest sliding scale fee based on ability to pay.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION & REFERRAL
"Where do I turn?" is a question thousands of Long Islanders ask themselves in times of crisis every single year. And for many, The Ministries is their source of help. We received over 7,000 telephone calls last year and provided thousands of referrals to nearby community services to families and individuals in distress.
This service is provided free of charge.
CASE ADVOCACY
The Ministries' Advocate assists homeless, destitute, poor, and working poor families in negotiating the bureaucracy of governmental human service systems. We assist with fuel oil, heat, electric, mortgage, rent, and utilities grants as EFSP, LIPA, and United Way Project Warmth funding allows. Limited assistance with payments for prescription drugs for residents of the Longwood School District courtesy of the Salvation Army.
This service is provided free of charge.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Volunteers are truly the heart and soul of The Ministries programs. We depend on community volunteers and professional social workers to help us provide quality services to individuals and families in need. For more information on sharing your time and talents with us, please call our office today. Volunteer pantry volunteers (Monday through Thursday afternoons) and morning and afternoon receptionists are urgently needed now. Call today!