糖心传媒

Member of 糖心传媒鈥檚听

House Manager, Ronald McDonald House of Long Island
Co-Founder, The Makeshift Movement

Before returning to Adelphi for her master鈥檚 degree in social work, Eriksen was an and active member of the University鈥檚 Peer Counseling Center. Her mentor, Stacey Bellum, helped lead the Center and taught Eriksen鈥檚 peer counseling class. 鈥淲e were all inspired by her desire to help others,鈥� said Eriksen. 鈥淪he helped me realize that a career in social work would be the best route for me and would allow me to explore the full spectrum of human services.鈥澨�

Eriksen was intensively trained to help her peers with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and adjustment to college and relationships. 鈥淎s a junior supervisor, I would assist in supervising nightly shifts for our program鈥檚 telephone crisis center,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was here that I was able to exercise counseling skills for the very first time.鈥�

Eriksen has dedicated her career to helping others. Today she is the house manager of The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island whose mission is to keep families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need.

鈥淭he House provides families with a secure, welcoming, and comfortable environment among other families who are sharing a similar burden. We offer resources, meals, transportation, and collect donations from the community that directly serve our residents,鈥� she said. They also schedule daily events and provide ongoing support to lift families鈥� spirits. 鈥淚t is a miraculous place whose mission is so dear to my heart,鈥� she said.

In addition to this role, she also serves her community through the grassroots organization The Makeshift Movement, which she co-founded. 鈥淪everal years ago, our hometown was deeply affected by a string of suicide-related deaths and overdoses,鈥� said Eriksen. She and her (now) team began The Makeshift Movement to create a safe place where their community could talk openly about issues like mental health, suicide, and substance abuse. 鈥淥ur organization鈥檚 mission is to broaden and improve our collection of resources and education-related services surrounding addiction and mental health,鈥� she explained.

Since The Makeshift Movement was established in 2015, it has hosted community forums and resource fairs among other meaningful events such as its 2017 community art project. 鈥淥ceanside residents came together at the library to create a mural entitled 鈥楢ll Together Now,鈥欌�� she said. The piece is a commemoration of the lives lost from substance abuse and suicide and serves as a lasting reminder for their community of the organization鈥檚 dedication to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Eriksen鈥攚ho has worked with mental health, homeless, and geriatric populations at several different agencies and organizations through her career鈥攕ays couldn’t be prouder of the journey that led her to where she is today.听

鈥淚 chose a career in social work because the people I met at Adelphi and the guidance I received from them made this path a reality,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or this, I am forever grateful.鈥�

Eriksen is a wife and mother who, in her spare time, is also the lead female vocalist in two contemporary rock cover bands called 鈥淧ermission to Launch鈥� and 鈥淭he Polyester Social Club,鈥� both of which she participates with her husband, Mark.