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Family services agency supports college students

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Because of the good work done by Family & Children’s Association, several local disadvantaged Long Island students will have the opportunity to attend college.

Family & Children’s is a non-profit agency that helps more than 20,000 children a year. It has locations throughout Nassau County, including in Elmont, Freeport, West Hempstead and Wantagh.

The organization organizes after-school activities for children to become involved in to help them learn and make good decisions. It also awards many scholarships to qualified participants as they move on to high school and college.

Donna Raphael, director of community relations for the organization, said, “Family and Children’s offers an opportunity to have a safe environment for the kids and continues support through a stable setting.”

Evera Bailey, 20, of Hempstead, was one of the scholarship recipients. In the fall, Bailey will be entering her junior year at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island, where she is studying fashion.

When Bailey found out that she received the scholarship, she was very excited. “It was great,” she said. “I was happy because I knew that certain things that I really needed would finally be able to get covered with the scholarship because otherwise there would have been really no other way.” Bailey said that without the scholarship, she does not think she would have been able to attend college.

Kevin Morales, 19, of Hempstead, was another scholarship recipient. Morales has completed his first year at SUNY Cortland. “The scholarship helps a lot with books and covering the part of my tuition that financial aid didn’t pay,” he said.

Morales is studying biology in college. He says that his love for the field started in high school when he became interested in the biology science labs.

Morales and Bailey became introduced to the Family & Children’s program through Raphael. They met her eight years ago. Bailey referred to Raphael as a “mother-like figure” because of her ability to relate to them, and her guidance.

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