Lodestar Children’s Services Marks 10 Years of Helping Long Island Families, Anniversary Event Set for November 5th

HUNTINGTON, NY – Lodestar Children’s Services is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026, celebrating a decade of providing in-home mental health and support services to children and families across Long Island and New York City.

The nonprofit will commemorate the milestone with a 10th anniversary celebration on November 5, 2026, in Huntington at space being donated by Appliance World. The evening will bring together supporters, community members and business leaders while highlighting Lodestar’s work and plans for continued expansion.

The event will feature food prepared by Long Island chef and Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle, along with drinks, music, raffles and entertainment by mentalist Mike Paldino.

A Decade of Growth

Founded in 2016, Lodestar Children’s Services was established with a mission centered on empowering children and families through community-based mental health services. According to the organization, Lodestar has now worked with more than 500 families while providing tens of thousands of in-home visits throughout Long Island and New York City.

The organization says those visits are designed to bring services directly into the homes and communities of families who may otherwise face obstacles obtaining consistent mental health care.

Lodestar’s anniversary materials describe significant growth over the past decade, from serving 10 families in 2016 to more than 500 families as the organization enters its second decade.

Expansion Into New York City

The anniversary also comes as Lodestar prepares for another phase of expansion. The organization says it is moving forward with plans to increase services in New York City, including an expansion into the Bronx.

Lodestar has identified staff training, direct assistance for families and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness among its priorities for 2026. The organization is also seeking to raise $150,000 by the end of the year to help support those efforts.

“We have a national and local crisis in children’s mental health,” Lodestar founder and executive director James Regan said. “Lodestar is taking action. As we work to aggressively expand much needed services, we know the community has our back.”

November 5th Anniversary Celebration

The November 5 event is intended not only to celebrate Lodestar’s first decade, but also to introduce more people to the organization’s work and the challenges surrounding access to children’s mental health services.

Attendees will have an opportunity to meet members of the Lodestar team and learn more about the nonprofit’s programs and plans for the coming years.

For Lodestar Children’s Services, the anniversary represents both a look back at its first decade and the beginning of a broader effort to reach more families throughout the region. With additional expansion planned and demand for children’s mental health services continuing, the organization says community support will play an important role in what comes next.