Family & children's service (FCS) was founded in 1909 by a group of philanthropic long branch businessmen who saw that a large number of poor local children received no toys during the holiday season

Recognizing this unfulfilled need in their community they created a holiday gift-giving program, the forerunner of FCS's current operation sleighbells program. That initial effort grew to include the distribution of food and coal to those in need and later expanded to provide critically needed social services for individuals and families throughout monmouth county. FCS also provides adult protective services and telephone reassurance program in middlesex county. Today, FCS serves over 8,500 of people annually, addressing homelessness; neglect, abuse or exploitation; health and respite care; financial instability due to physical, developmental or mental disabilities; childhood literacy and obesity; medicare counseling and long-term care assistance. FCS is also a leading volunteer organization. Our 14 programs and services are provided regardless of the age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, language spoken or physical or mental ability of those we serve. While FCS partners with many organizations and government agencies, in many cases, we are the sole county-designated provider of unduplicated services and often the last hope for individuals and families in crisis. One program, the retired senior volunteer program or rsvp, nurtures the concept and vision that's been at the heart of the agency since its inception: we inspire people to help people. FCS has been the sponsor of rsvp since 1973, and the agency is committed to maintaining the high quality of service offered by the program. Through the corporation for national & community service rsvp grant, an estimated 200 rsvp volunteers will contribute their time to helping children in monmouth county acquire a love of reading, learn more in school and be healthier. The primary focus area of this project, a partnership with local schools, students and community volunteers, is education and includes reading buddies, and early-childhood literacy development program which advances literacy skills and creates enthusiastic, confident young readers in 18 local public schools; and healthy buddies, an intergenerational nutrition awareness and physical fitness initiative for students in grades three through four. When children get a daily diet of nutrient-rich foods and are healthy, they are more likely not to miss school and to learn more while they are there. At the end of the three-year grant, 4,800 students in kindergarten through second grade will demonstrate improved academic engagement in the area of literacy through the reading buddies program. The cncs federal investment of $94,407 will be supplemented by $38,913 in state and local funding to support the rsvp programs administered by family & children's service.