We hope the SOS program can be a model for other communities. – Ian Clark Devine, President

MINEOLA, N.Y. (PRWEB)
December 01, 2020

The Huguette Clark Foundation announced today that it has awarded a second grant to the Family and Children’s Association (FCA) of Long Island to support its Safe Observant Seniors (SOS) program. The $50,000 grant is the largest award by the Foundation to date and reflects the success of the SOS program in its first year and the urgent need to address the rise in senior exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SOS program is part of Nassau County’s first elder abuse multi-disciplinary team, which coordinates case management and counseling, Adult Protective Services, the District Attorney’s office, legal and medical representatives, and law enforcement to help the victims of elder exploitation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the isolation of seniors and made them more vulnerable to crime. Felony arrests in crimes against seniors compared tripled as of August 2020 compared to a year earlier, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office. As a result, the Foundation believed it was essential to fund direct services to victims of elder exploitation.

Since its inception in 2013, the Foundation has developed a reputation for funding innovative programs to address elder abuse, using relatively small, targeted grants to achieve outsized results. The Foundation’s support helped FCA attract and secure additional sources of funding for the SOS program.

“Programs like SOS provide vital support to seniors at a time when they suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ian Clark Devine, president of the Huguette Clark Foundation. “We are pleased to support the SOS program for a second year so that it can expand its services to seniors. Its record demonstrates that a multi-disciplinary approach can be very effective, and we hope it can be a model for other communities.”

Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, FCA President & CEO, said: “This grant is critical to FCA’s efforts to protect and serve Long Island’s lonely, isolated and vulnerable seniors, all of whom are at much greater risk for exploitation during the COVID-19 crisis. We are grateful for the Huguette Clark Foundation’s continued support and we look forward to building on our successes as we head into 2021.”

About the Huguette Clark Foundation

The Huguette Clark Foundation for Protection of Elders was created by members of the Clark family to honor their late aunt, Huguette Clark, who was victimized by her caregivers and advisors for more than two decades. The Foundation supports innovative organizations and programs to fight the financial abuse of elders, addressing needs often overlooked by traditional programs. The Foundation’s strategy is to make targeted early-stage grants to develop programs that later can be scaled or replicated for broad impact. Grants are related to the abuse that Huguette Clark herself suffered, specifically the prevention of undue influence, manipulation and financial exploitation by institutions and professionals.

The Huguette Clark Foundation, a tax-exempt public charity, has awarded grants since 2013 to support innovative education and advocacy programs to combat elder exploitation. Earlier grants provided financial support for programs to train Adult Protective Service workers; help banks implement federal guidelines for sharing customer information with investigatory agencies in cases of suspected elder financial exploitation; and develop model civil statutes to help victims of financial exploitation seek justice, recover assets and rebuild their lives. For more information, please see: http://www.huguetteclarkfoundation.org.

About FCA

FCA is a nonprofit agency helping more than 30,000 Long Islanders each year. For over 135 years, the organization has worked to protect and strengthen vulnerable children, seniors, families, and communities on Long Island.

FCA believes in the potential of Long Island – a place where no child, senior, family or community is left to struggle alone with barriers to health care, education, employment, or economic prosperity. Long Island continues to be one of the greatest places in the world to live and raise a family for many; FCA exists to ensure that be the case for all.

For more information about FCA, please visit: http://www.fcali.org.

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