LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Family Service League upon the
occasion of celebrating its 85th Anniversary

WHEREAS, Organizations which serve the interests of the people of this
Empire State merit the commendation of this Legislative Body; and
WHEREAS, In the course of the evolving development of this Empire
State, when the ingredients of shared concern and responsive endeavor
combine in commitment to community, there emerge among the distinguished
citizenry of the State of New York, certain organizations which warrant
special recognition; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Family Services League upon the occasion of its 85th Anniversary to
be celebrated with a Gala at Carlyle on the Green in Bethpage, New York,
on December 2, 2011; and
WHEREAS, In 1926, a group of Huntington women, concerned about their
beloved community, met at a beach to discuss how they could help those
in need; their altruism and dedication led them to found the Service
League of Huntington; and
WHEREAS, The Service League opened a soup kitchen and recreational
center later that year, initially focusing on helping teens and the
unemployed; throughout the turbulent years of the Depression and World
War II, poor and unemployed individuals continued to be the new agency's
central concern; and
WHEREAS, The Service League of Huntington's growth mirrored the popu-
lation explosion on Long Island following the war; subsequently, the
agency developed a myriad of services in new locations throughout
Suffolk County as it responded to the growing needs of hundreds of thou-
sands of Long Island's new residents; and
WHEREAS, In 1950, Jane Nichols became involved with Family Service
League; as a trained social worker, she recognized the need for a
professional Executive Director and a structured counseling program; and
WHEREAS, For the next 10 years, a volunteer Board of Directors worked
to develop Family Service League into a countywide counseling agency
with a paid professional staff; the 1960s saw an expansion in the agen-
cy's services and programs and a broadening of its geographical range;
this continued throughout the 1970s; and
WHEREAS, During the 1980s, Family Service League secured its first NYS
license to operate an alcohol and substance abuse treatment clinic, the
Family Recovery Center, as well as new mental health programs; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1990s Family Service League developed several
new initiatives to prevent and treat victims of child abuse and neglect,
to prevent Suffolk County children from being placed in institutions and
foster care to treat PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision) and their
families; and
WHEREAS, In 1995, Family Service League moved to its new administra-
tive headquarters, The Olsten Family Center at 790 Park Avenue, Hunting-
ton, New York; and
WHEREAS, Family Service League has received many awards including the
2011 national accreditation by the prestigious Council on Accreditation
for Children and Family Services; and
WHEREAS, Today, offering 46 programs in 15 different locations, Family
Service League focuses on bringing programs to the underserved, develop-
ing new and innovative programs and replicating their existing Family
Centers; and

WHEREAS, Last year the programs and services offered by this noble
organization made a significant difference in the lives of approximately
48,000 individuals and families residing on Long Island, New York; and
WHEREAS, The programs and services include counseling services,
programs for the chronically mentally ill, parenting education, and
skills training for at-risk families, an information and referral
service to help the community at large access resources, and programs
for youth and for the elderly; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Family Services League upon the occasion of celebrating its 85th
Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Family Services League, 790 Park Avenue, Huntington, New
York 11743.