FCA Hosts SNUG Day Community BBQ to Combat Gun Violence Saturday

Family & Children’s Association (FCA) is pleased to announce its First Annual SNUG Day Community Barbecue. The free outdoor event, held Saturday, August 10, from 1 PM to 5 PM at Kennedy Memorial Park in Hempstead Village, is open to families and young adults. The festivities will include a DJ, bouncy house, ice cream truck, and barbecue. FCA staff will be on hand to interact with attendees and promote peaceful resolution techniques and gun violence reduction, particularly in regards to high risk activities, while creating a backyard party vibe with neighbors and friends.

SNUG, which stands for “Should Never Use Guns,” is an evidence-based violence reduction initiative that leverages the power of individuals who have successfully left behind a life of violence to engage with and support youths and young adults who are at high risk for violent behavior. SNUG works in tandem with community residents, businesses, and community-based organizations.

The event follows a recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General calling gun violence a threat to public health. The advisory, which has drawn support from local health and law enforcement officials, called for regulations limiting access to guns, money to research firearm injuries, and a greater investment in risk reduction through programs such as SNUG.

“SNUG offers an alternative to violent behavior by working on the root causes of these actions and modeling alternative behaviors through credible messengers who work side by side with community members who are seeking another way of life,” says FCA’s Nicolle Vasselman, vice president and chief program officer at FCA.

SNUG offers a range of services designed to support high-risk individuals and promote community safety, including:

• Conflict mediation and crisis intervention
• Community outreach
• Educational and employment assessment
• Linkage to available resources

These services are free to individuals aged 12+ involved in high-risk activities, residents of the Village of Hempstead, and those with current or former gang involvement or a gun-related criminal history.

According to New York State’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, Hempstead Village police reported 22 shooting victims and one fatality last year. Nassau County police recorded 22 victims and four fatalities, while Suffolk County police reported 47 victims and 11 fatalities in 2023. Over the past decade, each department has consistently reported dozens of shooting victims annually.

For more information about how you can support FCA programs, contact Paige O’Brien, Vice President of Strategic Advancement and Chief Development Officer at 516- 746.0350 x 4320, [email protected] or visit www.fcali.org

About FCA

FCA is a not-for-profit agency helping more than 35,000 Long Islanders each year. For 140 years, the organization has worked to protect and strengthen vulnerable children, seniors, families, and communities on Long Island.

FCA believes in the potential of Long Island - a place where no child, senior, family or community is left to struggle alone with barriers to health care, education, employment, or economic prosperity. Long Island continues to be one of the greatest places in the world to live and raise a family for many; FCA exists to ensure that be the case for all.

For more information about FCA, visit www.fcali.org