38 Old Country Rd
Garden City,
NY 11530

(516) 741-7304

Overview

Ethical Friends of Children (EFC) is an outreach program of the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island.

Its sole purpose is to help children by providing them with needed clothing and infant furniture.

Originally called Friends for the Homeless, it was started in 1986. It is an entirely volunteer organization.

We believe the program is unique on the Island. It provides the clothing and furniture to children - and only to children - from all backgrounds and at no cost to the families. WE HELP OVER 600 CHILDREN EACH YEAR.

Who Receives the Clothing and Furniture?

The children we help are referred to us by the many social service organizations on Long Island, mostly, but not necessarily from Nassau County. These include the Nassau County Department of Social Services, the Town of Hempstead Department of Health, church affiliated social service agencies and private agencies funded by the county.

Here Are a Few Examples

Almost every day we get a call from the Nassau County Medical Center. A mother, having had no pre-natal care, has delivered a baby, and that baby needs everything - literally everything. NCMC will turn to us to help the child.

The Nassau County Department of Social Services has many departments devoted to helping children and families including Child Protection and Teen Parenting. Social workers from these many services working with, helping, and counseling families, often would like to help the family additionally by providing them with needed clothing for the children. Often they do not have it ready to hand. They will turn to us.

Social workers deal with children at risk: children who have just been placed in foster homes, children from dysfunctional families and children whose family is desperately poor. The social workers will turn to us.

The children we help range in age from newborn to age 13.

Where Does the Clothing Come From?

All clothing is collected by donations. About half the clothing comes from individual families whose clothing is still in good condition but no longer needed.

Many organizations, i.e., student governments, scout troops, church outreach programs, and other local community groups hear of our program and run a drive as part of their goodwill activities.

In the same manner, EFC also collects infant furniture - cribs, strollers, small dressers. Etc.

What Exactly Do the Volunteers at EFC Do?

All of us are volunteers. There are no paid personnel. Furthermore, none of us in EFC acts as a social worker. We strictly respond to the call for help.

When the clothing is donated, we sort it and organize it. We accept only clothing in usable condition, but we will wash and mend it, if it is warranted.

In addition, we will pick up the clothing or furniture if the donor cannot deliver it to us.

When the service agency calls us, we are ready to make up hefty packages of clothing for the specific children.

Again, if the agency or family cannot pick up the clothing, we will endeavor to bring it to them.

How Are We funded?

Because we are all volunteers and because the clothing is all donated, we have a small budget. The Ethical Humanist Society sponsors us by donating the room and paying our petty expenses.

A private donation is paying our telephone bill.

This year (1997) another private donation allows us to buy some needed items (like a mattress for a crib donated without one).

If we were to get a sizable grant, we would investigate the possibility of buying cribs for especially needy children.

How Can You Participate?

From individuals and organizations, we need donations of good clothing and all infant furniture.

We need especially more cribs. Every week we get at least one request for a crib. Unless a crib is found, that child is going to sleep on the floor, on a blanket, or in the bed with adults.

We need also linens and blankets. We need clothing in all sizes, but especially layette clothing and sizes 5 through 8. We especially need sturdy coats of all sizes.

We would welcome more volunteers to help us with the clothing and to be drivers who can help us collect and distribute the clothing and furniture.

Finally, we welcome financial contributions, which would be used exclusively to purchase clothing and/or furniture for children.