The Center for Family Support, Inc.

10/15/2026

🎭 Meet Jackie, one of our CFS Advocates, and a future star in the making! ✨
Jackie dreams of being a singer, songwriter, performer, and actor, and she’s already making it happen.🌞

Watch our short teaser, then join us next Thursday to see the full video at the 2026 CFS Awards Dinner: An Evening Together for Opportunity. 👇

Jackie’s story shows what becomes possible when people have the support and opportunity to pursue their dreams. Every ticket, sponsorship, and gift helps CFS create more opportunities like this for more than 1,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families across NY and NJ. 💙

⏰ One week to go. This is your last chance for tickets!
📅 Thursday, October 22 | 6:00-10:00 PM
📍 Midtown Loft & Terrace, 267 Fifth Avenue, NYC
🎟️ Tickets, sponsorships, and donations: https://www.cfsny.org/dinner26/

10/14/2026

Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month at CFS! 🎉

On October 8, the Center for Family Support hosted a workshop in honor of , and it was an inspiring day!

💼 Empowering Abilities at CFS
Our very own Tamiko Hill and Yolanda Rodriguez gave presentations on empowering abilities in the workplace and beyond.
⚖️ Right of the Month: The Right to Education and Work
Our advocate Jazmin Mixon led this month’s presentation, sharing her personal experiences and perspective on why these rights matter.
🛍️ Advocate Entrepreneurs
Two of our advocates showed off their creativity and business skills. Crystal sold her handmade beaded bracelets, and Kasheena sold her handmade keychains. Thank you both for sharing your talents with us!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this event so special! 💙

10/13/2026

Standing ovation for Amoako! 👏🎶🎨

Musician and artist Amoako – who receives support from CFS’ Self-Direction program – was featured on CBS News New York as the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music opened its new Park Slope campus and Music Therapy Institute. The expansion is expected to bring music therapy to an additional 8,000 people. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso shared how moving the performance was for him as a parent of an autistic child. Amoako’s talent has taken him from the Met to the United Nations Headquarters Gallery, and we couldn’t be prouder of him!

▶️ Watch the segment: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/brooklyn-conservatory-music-therapy-services-nyc/
🎨 See Amoako's artwork: artistamoako.com and learn more about him!

The new 12,000-square-foot campus in Park Slope is expected to allow an additional 8,000 people to access music therapy and will also provide affordable studio space for musicians.

10/12/2026

Interested in exploring programs and resources designed to support individuals with disabilities of all ages? Join Massapequa High School's Special Education department and SEPTA for the Blueprint for Your Future Fair!

Learn more and register: https://grapegamersgames.my.canva.site/blueprint-for-your-future

10/09/2026

We’re thrilled to welcome Dina Casalaspro as the first Executive Director of The Center for Family Support New Jersey! 🎉

Dina joins us as we continue our mission of providing personalized support to individuals in the I/DD community and the families who care for them. Her leadership will help guide our work in New Jersey as we help every person we support learn, grow, and thrive in their homes and communities. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome!

Read more in Crain’s New York Business:

Dina Casalaspro will be The Center for Family Support New Jersey’s first Executive Director.

10/07/2026

🎬 Take a look inside our 2026 Awards Dinner venue at the Midtown Loft & Terrace!

Our 2026 honorees, Jennifer Lazarus and Mell Goldman, recently joined the CFS team for a tour of the venue where we'll gather in less than 3 weeks on October 22, Together for Opportunity. Watch our quick teaser for a peek at the space and the excitement building ahead of the big night. 👇

📅 Thursday, October 22 | 6:00-10:00 PM
📍 Midtown Loft & Terrace, 267 Fifth Avenue, NYC
🎟️ Tickets, sponsorships, and donations: https://www.cfsny.org/dinner26/

Every ticket, sponsorship, and gift helps CFS open doors for more than 1,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families across NY and NJ.

09/23/2026

One special night. A year of opportunity. 💙

The 2026 CFS Awards Dinner: Together for Opportunity is a beautiful evening of celebration, connection, and community. But it’s also so much more.

It’s one of CFS’ most important annual fundraisers, helping sustain the innovative, person-centered programs and supports that create opportunities for 1,000+ individuals with I/DD and their families across New York and New Jersey.

And we can’t do it without you.

When you buy a ticket, become a sponsor, or make a donation, you help CFS continue opening doors and creating opportunities for people to live with greater independence and purpose, find meaningful employment, discover new talents, advocate for themselves, and pursue the lives they want.

On October 22, we’ll come Together for Opportunity and honor:

✨ Jennifer Lazarus | Co-Chair, CFSNJ Board & Board Member, CFSNY Board
✨ Mell Goldman | Founder & CEO, All Boro Inc.

And we’re thrilled to have perennial Bravo's Top Chef judge and executive producer Gail Simmons joining us as Emcee!

📅 October 22 | 6:00–10:00 PM
📍 Midtown Loft & Terrace | New York City
Every ticket matters. Every sponsorship matters. Every gift matters.
Because when we come Together for Opportunity, we make so much more possible.

🎟️ Buy Tickets | Become a Sponsor | Make a Donation: https://www.cfsny.org/dinner26/

09/21/2026

🎳 Pin It Forward was an absolute blast!

What a night! Thanks to our incredible families, Board members, partners, friends, and supporters, Pin It Forward doubled our goal to support the CFS Innovative Planning and Advocacy Department!

A huge thank you to All Boro our Spare Sponsor, and everyone who purchased tickets, donated tickets for CFS participants, sponsored a lane, or made a gift.

And, of course, we’re especially proud of Jeff, Oscar, Tucker, and all our participants, who helped put this great fundraiser together and who made it a massive success!

This is a wonderful example of what’s possible when our supportive community comes together.
Thank you for helping make Pin It Forward such a success!

09/16/2026

Reminder! Planning for Tomorrow is next week. 💙

If you haven’t already reserved your spot, join CFS next Thursday for our free Planning for Tomorrow: Special Needs Financial & Charitable Gift Planning Workshop.

Planning for the future of a loved one with I/DD can bring some big questions. You don’t have to figure them out alone.

CFS President & CEO Alicia McGrath and Joshua Sucov, (CFP, ChSNC, CFS-SDS Board Member, CFS parent, and Financial Advisor with Edward Jones,) will lead a practical conversation about some of the most important considerations facing families, from housing and long-term support to Special Needs Trusts, ABLE accounts, government benefits, financial planning, and charitable giving.

And come early! From 5:30–6:00 PM, enjoy refreshments and hors d’oeuvres and connect with other CFS families and staff before the program begins.

📅 Thursday, September 24
⏰ 5:30 PM: Refreshments, hors d’oeuvres & mingling | 6PM: Program begins
📍 CFS | 333 7th Avenue, 9th Floor

Come ask questions, connect with other families, and plan for tomorrow, together.

RSVP: Planning for Tomorrow: https://www.cfsny.org/planning-for-tomorrow/

09/15/2026

The Center for Family Support had the opportunity to tour the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum in New York City and experience the powerful exhibit, Mothers, Prophets, Warriors: Women of the Bible.

The exhibit was truly eye-opening, offering a meaningful look at the strength, resilience, and stories of women throughout the Bible. Our wonderful guide, Evelyn Friedman, helped us peel back the layers of each piece through her thoughtful interpretations, while engaging the group through music and storytelling.

A heartfelt thank you to the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum for welcoming us and to Evelyn for making the experience so engaging, thought-provoking, and memorable.

Thank you to the museum for having us!

Learn More: https://huc.edu/public-programs-events/museums/dr-bernard-heller-museum-in-new-york/