New York Life and Alliance for Strong Families and Communities Announce Grantees for ‘Building Resilience in the Face of Disaster’ Program

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- New York Life Insurance, a mutual life insurance company, issued the following news release:

Recognizing the need for long-term local assistance for those who have experienced a natural disaster or act of mass violence, New York Life and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities today announced the selection of 16 non-profit, community-based organizations to receive grants to continue their work in communities affected by disasters in 2017 and early 2018. These grants are part of a new program, "Building Resilience in the Face of Disaster," jointly operated by New York Life and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities that seeks to provide long-term emotional and mental health services and support for communities that have faced large-scale tragic events.

Table omitted. To view table click here: (https://www.newyorklife.com/newsroom/2018/building-resilience-in-face-of-disaster-program/)

Each grantee will receive up to $50,000 as part of the $750,000 available through the program. Recipients were selected based on their level of experience and knowledge in trauma-informed care and/or grief support services; level of experience in providing support to individuals who have experienced tragedy; and plans to measure success, effectiveness, and impact. More than 90 organizations applied to the program.

"This program aligns closely with New York Life's commitment as a company, which is to be there for people for the long-term, even when the unthinkable happens," said Heather Nesle, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, New York Life. "After a disaster, the response is typically focused on addressing immediate needs or physical losses. The 16 grantees will help those traumatized by disaster, violence or loss to cope with long-term, 'invisible' grief, which can be detrimental if it's not addressed."

"This program reflects our continued focus at the Alliance to accelerate and integrate the latest in brain science research and trauma-informed care into social sector practice, policy and systems," noted Susan N. Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. "By building resilience in the face of disaster, we can strengthen the capabilities of community-based organizations to promote the health and well-being of individuals, children, and families in the communities they serve."

The grants, which are provided by New York Life, will be administered by New York Life in partnership with the Change in Mind Institute at the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.

About New York Life

New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies**.

About the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities

The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities is a strategic action network of thousands of committed social sector leaders who through their excellence, distinction, and influence are working to achieve a healthy and equitable society. We aggregate the very best sector knowledge and serve as an incubator for learning and innovation to generate new solutions to the toughest problems. We accelerate change through dynamic leadership development and collective actions to ensure policies and systems provide equal access and opportunity for all people in our nation to reach their fullest potential through improvements in health and well-being, educational success, economic opportunity, and safety and security. Go to alliance1.org for more information.

In January of 2018, the Alliance and the American Public Human Services Association released a groundbreaking report that offers an important cross-sector call to action to address the challenges facing human services community-based organizations, which play a vital role in the human services ecosystem, comprised of the nonprofit sector, government agencies, and the philanthropic sector. A National Imperative: Joining Forces to Strengthen Human Services in America was commissioned by the Alliance and APHSA and was conducted and written by Oliver Wyman and SeaChange Capital Partners. The report was supported by a national advisory council whose members came from non-profit human services, government, the private sector, and academia. Funding for the project was provided by The Kresge Foundation and the Ballmer Group, with additional support from the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Mutual of America, Selective Insurance Company of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

About the Change in Mind Institute

The Change in Mind Institute at the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities aims to increase the common understanding of the core story of brain development and intensify this knowledge into the social and public sectors. We believe through continuous innovation and alignment of practice and policy with knowledge, research, and evidence on how the brain develops, we will enhance the skills and capacities we all need to be healthy, happy, and contributing citizens. The Change in Mind Institute operates as a hub for disseminating knowledge, provides training and technical assistance on the integration of brain science research, and engages in cross-sector innovation on the transformation of organizations, sectors, and systems as they adapt to the new applications of the science.