A New Home for SIBSPlace
SIBSPlace is conducting a major Capital Campaign to provide the resources necessary to establish our new home. The goal for this campaign is $1.25 million dollars. See our opportunity sheets for the range of opportunities available to begin making a difference in our SIBS Kids’ lives right away:
- SIBSPlace Commitment Form
- SIBSPlace Naming Opportunities
- SIBSPlace Giving Circles (1)
- SIBSPlace Giving Circles (2)
Project Overview
We are currently housed in the basement of a building owned by Mount Sinai South Nassau in Hewlett. Due to dynamic program expansion and increased participation, we have outgrown that space. SIBSPlace began in 2000, as a free program for children ages 5-17 living with a sibling with cancer or another devastating medical illness. But over the years, we have expanded to include children coping with a parent’s cancer diagnosis and then further expanded to offer bereavement services. Parent psychoeducation, support and groups are also provided. Our program has also evolved to include a free six-week summer camp, monthly peer empowerment activities and the celebration of holidays and milestones through family engagement events.
As a result, SIBSPlace is constructing our new home, a 5,100 square foot freestanding building in Rockville Centre, NY. The new building is tailored to specifically meet the needs of our expanding program. This new location will increase our visibility to the community and will provide easier and greater access to children from all over Long Island and the five Boroughs. Our new home will have:
- Expressive Arts Activity Rooms, an Art Therapy Room and Game Room that will be places for exploration of feelings, creativity and development of essential coping skills; additional rooms allow us to offer multiple groups simultaneously
- Beautiful and spacious Kitchen and Dining areas to foster empowerment and camaraderie through preparation and sharing of meals
- Resource Library and Family Group Room will provide space for family meetings and parent group
- Conference and Training Room, as a dedicated space where we will offer professional trainings to increase understanding of the impact of a traumatic illness or death on children and the family system
- An Outdoor Patio to offer opportunities to nurture and care for a garden with benches for small group conversations
The Situation Today: Key Statistics About SIBSPlace
- Over the last 20 years, 43% INCREASE IN UNIQUE CHILD PARTICIPANTS, we have outgrown our space
- During the last year, 73% INCREASE IN PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENTS
- 57% INCREASE IN BEREAVEMENT SERVICES
- In 2020, we served, 92 UNIQUE CHILD PARTICIPANTS with a total of 2,176 Participant Engagements
This increase in Participant Engagements and Bereavement Services highlights the community need for our preventive peer support program.
SIBS Kids represent an at-risk population who during the pandemic were seeking social interactions to reduce sense of isolation and benefited from having a space to process their anxiety, frustration and sense of loss.
