34 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2021
THE GIVING ISSUE
FREE PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER LONG
Most people go through life wondering
whether they have made a diff erence
in the world.
Christopher Long, president of Family
Residences and Essential Enterprises,
Inc. and the organization’s 1,800 team
members make a diff erence every day
in the lives of the individuals they serve
who have intellectual/developmental
disabilities, mental illness, and traumatic
brain injury. The evidence of their
impact is in the tens of thousands of
lives they have touched over the past
four decades.
Founded in 1977, Family Residences and
Essential Enterprises, Inc. or FREE, as
it is commonly referred to, has been
among the foremost organizations in
the nonprofit world that deals with
health and human services. The organization,
which serves approximately
4,000 individuals each year, is in the
business of expanding horizons by
helping individuals overcome challenges
and reach their full potential.
With the motto “Reach High, Achieve
More,” FREE is where care meets
innovation. With more than a dozen
programs that empower individuals
of all ages and abilities, FREE has been
able to help advance the interests and
benefit the lives of this vulnerable
community.
Long took over the reins as president
in 2010, and has spent the past 12 years
helping the organization — along with
the individuals they support — reach
new heights. His leadership methodology
is rooted in the understanding of
learning about and meeting the goals
that have the greatest impact.
“Anytime I am asked what motivates me,
I am reminded of the quote: ‘If you are
unwilling to learn, no one can help you.
If you are determined to learn, no one
can stop you,’” Long says. “As a trained
educator — he has a doctorate in education
— and passionate leader, I am committed to
being a lifelong learner and always seek
to improve and build upon my current
knowledge. In this rapidly changing world,
existing knowledge quickly becomes
obsolete, especially in this line of work.”
“I believe it is important to expand the
definition of learning to create new
knowledge, as it has aff orded me the opportunity
to focus on creative solutions
and innovation, and cultivates the passion
of the explorer within me,” he adds.
Warren Bennis, the renowned American
author and expert on leadership
studies, once said, “Leadership is the
capacity to translate vision into reality.”
By this metric, Long is certainly worthy
of respect and applause.
When Long joined the team at FREE,
he was no stranger to the world of nonprofi
ts nor was he unfamiliar with the
organization’s mission. Earlier in his
career he held several executive level
management positions at well-respected
nonprofi ts, and at health and human
service organizations. He was named
the 2005 winner of the Zella Bronfman
Butler Award for outstanding contributions
in the fi eld of special education
and human services, and, more recently,
was named to Long Island Business News’
Executive Circle for his commitment to
community service and diversity. It is
evident, though, that the awards and
recognitions for Long are an acknowledgement
of the more impactful strides
made in the lives of those he serves.
As FREE continues to grow in size
and scope, it remains committed to
removing the stigma and promoting
a culture of inclusion for people with
Christopher LongMattera with his husband Freddy at a spa day where multiple programs at FREE participated in a hair and beauty day. (Photo courtesy of FREE)
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