On June 24, Garden City-based nonprofit FCA held the organization’s 36th annual Mission Moment Scholarship Fund Breakfast at Westbury Manor in Westbury.
For over three decades, FCA’s Mission Moment Scholarship Fund has aimed to guide local youth toward successful futures by enabling at-risk individuals to pursue higher education and improve their lives by matching them with donors. Nearly 50 college scholarships were awarded, raising a total of nearly $110,000 this year.
Scholarship recipients were given the opportunity to meet the donors who helped make their journey possible. The annual reception recognized the extraordinary achievements of scholarship winners, and the dedicated staff and donors who contribute to the program.
One of this year’s honorees, former New York Jet, Erik Coleman, shared inspiring words with the students and spoke about the importance of perseverance and never giving up.
Other speakers included Dr. Isma Chaudhry, Hon. Brianna A. Vaughan, Parvin. P., FCA Walkabout resident, and Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, FCA president & CEO, all inspired a sense of motivation and optimism for the future amongst the students. The importance of hard work and determination combined with a strong support network or “village” like that which FCA provides were emphasized and ran a common thread amongst the powerful words of the featured presenters.
“We at FCA continue to be inspired by the generosity of our donors and tenacity of our students. The past year has been tough for Long Island’s young people but raising more than $100,000 this morning means that the return to classrooms in September will be a little easier for many. It also means that we have set our scholars up for future success, which makes Long Island better for everyone”, commented Reynolds.
