The mission of the Family Service Society of Yonkers is to be the premier provider of human services through a range of programs focusing on home health care, diverse family supports, guardianship and advocacy for individuals and families, which will enhance their quality of life. Founded in 1883 as the Charity Organization Society of the City of Yonkers and re-named Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY) in 1936, the agency has become the premier provider of home health care services in Yonkers. We currently employ over 200 Personal Care Aides (PCAs) and Home Health Aides (HHAs). Moreover, FSSY offers free home health care training programs for individuals to obtain their New York State Department of Health certification as a PCA and the more advanced HHA. Currently, the agency serves over 350 Guardianship clients throughout Westchester and the Bronx. Many FSSY programs offer special assistance to the elderly and disabled members of the Westchester community. Among our projects are those which provide permanent supportive housing for the homeless disabled, home safety modifications for the elderly and disabled, and home weatherization repairs for low-income elderly. FSSY also offers a case management program for elderly and disabled residents living in Yonkers Municipal Housing. FSSY provides Westchester County’s most extensive programs and services in support of grandparents and other relative caregivers who are raising children. The Kinship Support Center sponsors a peer support group for the caregivers and provides holiday and summer programs for the children. The GrandPower Advocacy Project trains seniors 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. FSSY is the lead organization in the Community for All Ages initiative in southwest Yonkers. FSSY continually works to confront new challenges by adapting existing programs and implementing collaborative initiatives with other organizations to meet critical community needs. Always, our agency is dedicated to finding effective and innovative ways to improve the lives of individuals residing in Yonkers and the greater Westchester area.
Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation
