Listen to Kathryn Guglielmo, Special Events and Public Relations Manager at The Salvation Army Syracuse Area Services, as she talks about the Boeheim Foundation donation to the Family Place Program.
The Salvation Army says that the Jim & Juli Boeheim Foundation has donated a brand new basketball court to The Salvation Army’s Family Place Program. Century Heating & Air Conditioning also contributed to the project. The Family Place program is a parenting time site where children who have been removed from the care of their biological parents and placed in foster care can come and spend quality time with their parents and siblings. Family Place staff have worked hard to create a natural environment for families to spend time with one another. “Families with teens and older children have consistently reported that our facility although warm and welcoming is limited in its ability to provide a natural environment for teens, particularly in regards to outdoor recreational activities,” says Sidney Germinio, Director of Child Welfare for The Salvation Army. “Recreational activities such as basketball provide an opportunity for families to not only spend time with one another but to also bond through the creation of new memories and to build trust and safety after disruption and trauma. We are so grateful to our donors for allowing these families the opportunity to make new memories together.”An official ribbon cutting ceremony and court unveiling with the Boeheim’s and Rick Iorio, CEO of Century Heating & Air Conditioning and Salvation Army Board President, is scheduled for Wednesday, July 25th at 10:00am at The Salvation Army’s Family Place, located at 350 Rich Street in Syracuse.