YIT Foundation is driven by a single goal: to help families that struggle to see their preemies in the NICU as they often live far from the hospital.
YIT also works to provide permanent housing to homeless military veterans and often help them secure any available benefits and entitlements.
100% of donations are used to help the families with preemies as well to help the low-income and homeless veterans
The story of YIT founder Sharon Toney-Finch
“I was injured during my 2 tours in Iraq and was taken to a hospital in Germany for surgery and recovery. While on my tour in Seoul, South Korea, I was in excruciating pain and went to the Army Hospital and the International hospital for relief to no avail. I was just a few weeks into my pregnancy so there was very little I could take for the pain I was in. I was put on bed rest and given meds to take. I was taken off bed rest because it was time for the annual inventory. Within 2 weeks of being back at work, I went into labor and was transported to Samsung International Hospital in Seoul.
Yerik Israel Toney was born weighing about 1 pound (1.3 lbs.) on 04/08/2014. It was devastating and I was feeling all types of emotions. My baby was about the size of my hand and he was beautiful, strong, and a fighter. He survived 7 months and 14 days, passing 11/22/2014. During his time in the NICU at Samsung, I would take a cab almost every day to see him and spend time with him. He went through surgeries, treatments, and intensive care therapies while in NICU and remained on the ventilator until his passing. It was expensive taking cabs to the hospital from the base, it was very emotional, and I was very far away from home. It is important for parents to be able to see their baby without worrying about how they are going to get there. They are fighting for their baby’s life and should not have to worry about meals, transportation, or a place to stay. This is one of the reasons this organization was established, to reach out to parents with Preemies in NICU and be of assistance to them.
I believe if Yerik were living today, he would be happy to see families with Preemies receiving assistance and him being a part of it. As well as being a 100% Disabled Veteran, I want to give back to the Veterans that paved the way for me to serve. We are dedicated to helping those Veterans that are homeless and low-income to provide permanent housing.”
Stay connected with YIT Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Blue Star Families of New York
Founded in 2009 by military spouses with you in mind, we empower military families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors – both people and organizations – to create strong communities of support.
Frequent moves and deployments make it challenging for military families to set down roots, make friends, find new employment and take care of their families. Blue Star Families is helping military families overcome these challenges and thrive in their communities as they serve.
We offer a wide variety of programs that enhance family life, help spouses find jobs, provide caregivers with essential peer support, and connect families with their civilian neighbors to build strong communities.
More than 1.5 million military family members around the world have benefited from Blue Star Families’ programs, and that number continues to grow as we expand our programs and, working with our community partners, innovate new ways to help.
Stay connected with Blue Star Families on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Clear Path for Veterans is Upstate New York’s archetype Veteran Service Organization serving as a hub of information, programs, and resources. We are a welcoming community of staff and volunteers serving all Veterans and their families. As a single point of contact for Veterans, military members, and their families we engage, support, and make it easy to connect with what you need with a commitment to providing a welcoming place to call home. Our in-house programs and services are diverse and rely on partnerships and collaboration. Clear Path’s focus is on restoring, reconnecting, and integrating. Our programs and services are innovative, adaptive, and flexible to the needs of those who serve.
While many non-profits serving Veterans focus on a single issue or need, Clear Path’s model is diverse and all-inclusive. Although PTS, MST, traumatic brain injuries, and other physical injuries from military service are a reality of war, we help work through those challenges and build upon the resiliency of these men and women which goes beyond their disability. Each program, service, and referral we make takes into account the continual desire to serve and incorporates giving back in some capacity. We are firm believers that anyone who has worn the uniform holds a special place within their community. To ensure others answer the call to service, we continue educating the broader community on military and warrior culture and help prepare ourselves to accept the responsibility of welcoming them home. Clear Path is our community’s example of showing we care, no matter how long it takes.
Clear Path serves military members, Veterans, and their families of all eras and prides itself on investing in this valuable population. Clear Path is centrally located close to several military bases located in our 33-county region. Fort Drum’s 10th Mountain Division, the Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing, the 224th Eastern Air Defense Section, the Marine 4th Light Armored Recon Bn, the Army National Guard’s 27th Brigade Combat Team, Army, Navy, Marine Corps Reserve, are located within a 90-mile radius of our center. We continue working with those actively serving and provide support as requested.
Stay connected with Clear Path 4 Veterans on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
