Mission Statement
The mission of Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY) is to be the premier provider of human services through a range of programs focusing on diverse family supports, guardianship, education and advocacy for individuals and families, which will enhance their quality of life.
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Who We Are
Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY) was founded in 1883 as the Charity Organization Society of the City of Yonkers. Since its establishment, our organization has provided support for families and individuals in the Yonkers vicinity through a range of programs and services.
Re-named Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY) in 1936, our agency has become the premier provider of an extensive array of human and social services to underserved communities in Westchester County.
We provide permanent supportive housing for the disabled homeless, home safety modifications for the elderly and disabled, and home weatherization repairs for low-income elderly. We also offer a case management program for elderly and disabled residents living in Yonkers Municipal Housing.
FSSY is appointed by the New York State Supreme Court to act as legal guardian for incapacitated adults in danger of neglect, abuse and/or financial exploitation. We provide support for families of incapacitated adults who need to petition for Guardianship for their loved ones.
Our agency provides Westchester County’s most extensive programs and services in support of grandparents and other non-parent relative caregivers. The Kinship Support Program provides support, free legal counsel, parenting education, respite for caregivers, holiday and summer programs for children and more for kinship families. The GrandPower Advocacy Project trains seniors and grandparents to organize neighborhood-based advocacy efforts on behalf of the kinship families; the Advocates work diligently with local, county, state and national legislators to increase benefits for the relative caregivers and their children.
We are Westchester’s leader in intergenerational volunteering, literacy and academic support programs, impacting the lives of thousands of children and families and serving hundreds of older adults in six communities across Westchester County. Some of the needs we address are: literacy and academic support in the public schools; older adult civic engagement; intergenerational understanding and programming, and ethnic/cultural understanding and acceptance. We continue to expand and customize our programs and services to meet the growing needs of the local communities we serve.
We continually address new opportunities and challenges by adapting existing programs and collaborating on initiatives with other organizations to meet critical community needs. Always, FSSY is dedicated to finding effective and innovative ways to improve the lives of individuals residing in Yonkers and the greater Westchester area.
Board of Directors
Message from Thomas J. McSpedon,
President of the FSSY Board of Directors
On behalf of Family Service Society of Yonkers, thank you for taking the time to learn more about who we are and what we do to improve our communities in Westchester County and beyond.
FSSY has a proud tradition of serving families and individuals who turn to us in need. In recent years, FSSY has experienced tremendous growth as we have expanded our many programs and services beyond Yonkers and into other areas of Westchester County and the Bronx.
Whether it is a grandmother suddenly faced with being the primary caregiver to her grandchildren, or a 3rd grader from a low-income, immigrant family who is struggling with reading, we step in and help. We are privileged to work collaboratively with other local, county and state agencies and private foundations who help us respond to so many critical needs. Our goal today is the same as it was when our doors opened in 1883: to enhance the quality of life for vulnerable families and individuals, young and old, by providing services in education, housing, guardianship, kinship, and more, thus cultivating healthy, safe and thriving communities.
Thomas J. McSpedon
President
FSSY Board of Directors
Funders, Supporters & Partners
FSSY is grateful to our supporters and partners for their dedication and commitment to our programs and services. These are just a few of the many partners whose support makes our work possible.
Administration on Community Living
City of Yonkers
Con Edison
Field Hall Foundation
Lorraine O’Brien Foundation
M&T Charitable Foundation (formerly People’s United Community Foundation)
Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers
New York State Department of Health
New York State Education Department
New York State Office for the Aging
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
New York State Office of Temporary Disability and Assistance
Ossining Public Library
Ossining School District
St. Faith’s House Foundation
Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation
United Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Webster Bank
Westchester County
Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services
Westchester County Department of Social Services
Westchester County Youth Bureau
Westchester Community Foundation
White Plains School District
Yonkers City School District
Yonkers Public Library