Lifespire N E W S L E T T E R
Helping Individuals Reach Life’s Aspirations
A Message from CEO, Mark van Voorst
Dear Staff,
It seems that come January, everyone
talks about their goals for the
upcoming year. But as the saying
goes, you can’t really know where
you’re going until you understand
where you’ve been.
So before discussing our plans for the
upcoming year, I’d like to use this first
newsletter of 2015 to highlight some of what we have
accomplished in 2014.

Several individuals and staff members received awards
from organizations including NYSADSP, NYSID, SIDCC, and
QCDD, as well as our own service awards for those with 1030+ years with Lifespire.

Our CSCs kept individuals busy with holiday festivities,
volunteer projects, and learning activities such as antibullying and breast cancer awareness.

We renamed our Sunset Park I CSC to honor Board
member Michael Rappaport, who passed away in June. A
renaming ceremony will be held in the spring, when the
weather gets warmer.

We successfully maintained our record for providing
quality programs. About 78% of all Lifespire programs
surveyed by the OPWDD last year resulted in ZERO
deficiencies and 91% received two or less citations. We
have also initiated the process for securing accreditation
through the Counsel on Quality Leadership.

In July, employees were given a 1% pay raise and full-time
staff received a $1,200 Service Award in recognition of
their outstanding performance.

We continue to work with several sister agencies to
prepare for the advent of Managed Care and recently
switched our pharmacy provider to Community Care Rx to
improve medication delivery to our residents.
Building on our past accomplishments, we have several plans
in the works for 2015, such as using the Chicken of the Sea
$10,000 Great American Gratitude Award to create a
technology training curriculum for individuals, operational
enhancement projects developed by Manhattan College
seniors to increase the productivity of our affirmative business
program, two new residences in Mt. Vernon that will be the
home for 18 individuals, and the development of an IRA in the
Kingston, NY area for four individuals.
As you look through this newsletter, you’ll read wonderful
stories that describe how our CSCs celebrated the holiday
season—from creating awe-inspiring decorations, to caroling
at local senior centers and getting local fire fighters to hand
out presents to individuals. I commend our CSC staff for
coming up with some great ideas to make the holidays extra
special for the individuals we support.
It’s so gratifying to see our individuals’ smiling faces as they
help decorate, bring cookies to volunteer sites, or sing a solo
carol performance. This has always been our mission at
Lifespire—to assist people with developmental disabilities to
become contributing members of their family and of the
community.
Lifespire to Take Over Management of Two
Mt. Vernon Residences
In early February 2015, Lifespire will officially take over the
management of two Mt. Vernon residences from the Jewish Board
of Family and Children’s Services.
The Mt. Vernon Residence is an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) at
165 Esplanade Avenue is currently the home for ten residents. This
three-level, Tudor-style corner property will require a little TLC for
its overgrown trees and landscaping, but otherwise is in good
condition.
The Vernondale Residence on 111 North Third Avenue is an
Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA) property. Three
apartments were combined to create a roomy first floor unit to
house its eight current residents.
Lifespire will provide a Manager and an Assistant Manager at each
facility, as well as clinical and nursing staff, psychologists, and
speech, occupational and physical therapists. Lifespire hopes to
keep many of the existing staff and recently held a Job Fair in
Westchester County to interview candidates for open positions.
The opportunity to manage these two Westchester County
residences came up last spring, when the state decided that the
Brooklyn-based Jewish Board of Families and Children’s Services
should transfer management
of
their
Westchester
residences. Following an
intensive
RFP
and
interviewing process with
OPWDD, the Department of
Health, Consumer Advisory
Board, and families of the
individuals, Lifespire was
awarded the contract to
manage two of the three
facilities on offer.
The Mt. Vernon Residence at 165
Esplanade Avenue
Lifespire CSCs Celebrate the Holidays
The holidays were certainly a busy time at Lifespire’s CSCs. Many
Centers held parties for individuals on Christmas Eve and/or New
Year’s Eve, festively decorated their facilities, made tasty holiday
treats, and put up colorful holiday decorations.
The Michael Rappaport (Sunset Park 1) CSC treated individuals to
an outing in Manhattan to see the Macy’s window displays and the
Tree at Rockefeller Center, while the individuals at Park Slope CSC
attended the Park Slope tree lighting ceremony, created holiday
wreaths and cards, and sang carols at the local senior center.
The Queens North CSC held a
Holiday Concert and delivered
holiday cards, created by the
individuals, to the volunteer sites
they visit. Likewise, the Bronx
CSC baked and delivered cookies
to their volunteer sites, created
holiday cards and gingerbread
houses, and went caroling with
the individuals at Manhattan
South CSC.
I can see from these stories that we have had great success in
fulfilling our mission throughout 2014. I look forward to the
many accomplishments we will achieve together in 2015 and
beyond.
Sincerely,
Mark van Voorst
JA N. 2 0 1 5
Individual Courtney Lee of
Manhattan South CSC singing
Jingle Bells
The individuals at Manhattan
South CSC were also kept busy
with a Decorate Your Room
Holiday Challenge and an Ugly
Sweater Contest, created festive
holiday cards, and held a Xmas
Sweet Dessert Party and a talent
show.
NYC Firefighters Delivery Holiday Cheer
to John A. Cook CSC
On December 24, for the
14th year in a row,
firefighters from FDNY
Squad 270 of Division 13 in
Queens went to the John A.
Cook CSC to celebrate
Christmas
with
the
individuals and to hand out
presents and good will.
The firefighters, a few who
dressed as Santa Claus,
walked around the program
Individuals Ariana, Ismael, James, and
with
big smiles on their
Junita plus staff members Guyan and
faces and handed presents
Norma pose with the firemen “Santas” at
to the individuals, some of
the John A. Cook CSC
whom were so excited that
they wrapped their arms around the firefighters.
Ivor Ramphal, Facility Director of the John A. Cook Center, recalled
that “these brave firefighters started coming to our program during a
period when so many of them had lost their fellow co-workers and
friends in the 9/11 tragedy.” He also recalled two years when, in the
middle of handing out gifts, the firefighters were called to put out a
fire and came back later, covered with soot and smelling heavily of
smoke, to continue giving out presents to the rest of the 141
individuals who attend the program.
As the firefighters went from one activity room to another (15 in all),
followed by the “staff elves,” they found eager and excited individuals
ready to accept their presents. Some individuals said a simple thank
you while others, jumping with excitement, gave hugs and kisses to
the firemen.
The individuals and staff are very appreciative of what the firefighters
do and always give them a basket of cookies and a framed certificate
of appreciation. “These brave men fight fires every day and still find
the time to sing Christmas carols with our individuals,” says Ivor. “I
think they get as much, if not more, fun out of this than we do.”
We would like to express our gratitude to the following firefighters
who made the John A Cook CSC a better place to be on Christmas Eve:
Captain Tedeschi, Dan Centonze, Darren Harsch, Paul Moyik, John
Hoffman, and John Logan.
Queens South CSC Holiday Decorations Featured
in Queens Chronicle
Queens South Day Hab
Counselor Manika Mortime
had always wanted to
decorate the area outside
her office like the Macy’s
holiday window displays.
So this year, she did. But
that was just the beginning.
Assistant Director Roxann
Murphy
loved
the
decorations, but wanted to Manika Mortime and Lillian Smith who led the
decorating efforts for Queens South CSC
take it a step further and
add
other
traditional
Manhattan holiday scenes. And so Manika, with the help of Day Hab
Aide Lillian Smith, came up with more decorating ideas until the
entire Lifespire facility became a colorful holiday wonderland.
In addition to the three Macy’s display windows (one of which was
interactive), there were recreations of Saks, Tiffany’s, Cartier, and
Radio City Music Hall, complete with street signs, decorated store
windows, and shop awnings. There were silhouettes of shoppers at
Victoria’s Secret and ice skaters at Rockefeller Center, plus a holiday
tree with the faces of all the individuals on the ornaments.
Visitors were serenaded by the Queens South All Stars Choir,
directed by Day Hab Counselor Nadira Cumberbatch. “The carolers
really feel proud, especially the ones who give solo performances,”
says Nadira. “They think ‘Wow, these people came to hear me sing,’
and you can see in their smiles how much they enjoy the attention.”
Nadira and her All Stars Choir have also performed at the St. Albans
Veterans Hospital and the Friendship Senior Center in Jamaica this
holiday season.
It took about two weeks to complete the displays, and many
individuals helped with the decorations. Sentle Baker covered the
office doors in shiny wrapping paper, Daniel Walsh helped create
the interactive window light displays, Mary Hull wrapped several
boxes, Jewell Harrison created a wall Christmas tree display made
out of gift-wrapped boxes, and Mary Hull helped wrap the boxes.
The silhouettes for the Victoria’s Secret display were provided by
Thelma Cox, Frank Dupiton and Kathy Raymond, and Melissa
Guartam offered assistance wherever and whenever it was needed.
“It’s amazing what you can do with wrapping paper, cardboard,
tape, and glue,” says Manika. “It was a lot of work but also a lot of
fun, and everyone contributed.” Lillian adds: “The individuals all
said that they wanted to be useful…so I used them.”
“Putting up these beautiful decorations really helps the individuals
on so many levels,” says Roxann. “They feel important, they learn
that they’re capable of doing things they haven’t done before, and
they improve their socializing skills. Even something as simple as
wrapping boxes boosts their self-esteem.”
The challenge for Roxann and the staff is to figure out how they’re
going to top this next year. “Well, we didn’t have any Radio City
Rockettes, “she said
jokingly. “Perhaps that’s
something to consider
for 2015.”
Photos of the Queens
South holiday display
ran in the Queens
Chronicle newspaper.
Congratulations
to
Roxann, Manika, Lillian,
Nadira, Iris, the staff,
and the individuals of
Queens South for doing
a phenomenal job.
Individual Daniel Walsh at the Macy’s Interactive
Window he helped decorate
Individuals Anthony
King and Linda Jones
Honored at SIDDC
Annual “Celebrating
Achievements”
Ceremony
On December 12, 2014, Lifespire
individuals Anthony King and
Linda Jones were honored at the
Staten Island Developmental
Disabilities Council (SIDDC)
annual “Celebrating Achievements” ceremony, which recognizes the
accomplishments of individuals with developmental disabilities.
Both Anthony and Linda attend Lifespire’s Staten Island CSC and
reside in our Staten Island residences.
Congratulations to individuals Linda
Jones and Anthony King for their
2014 SIDDC Achievement Awards
Anthony, who lives at our Hylan residence, was selected by the
Staten Island CSC staff for his resiliency and his ability to handle
challenging situations in a positive manner. A little over a year ago,
Anthony was hospitalized while dealing with some personal issues
that caused him a lot of sadness and depression. During that time,
Anthony’s program attendance was at an all-time low. However,
since his discharge from the hospital, Anthony is showing signs of
his old self. He attends program regularly and volunteers in the
community when asked. Anthony is respectful to his peers and staff
and was recently given the responsibility of delivering facility mail
to the central office once a week. Anthony has shown that with a
little effort, positive change is possible.
Linda was selected by her Residential Manager JoAnne McClenin,
who noted that, among other things, Linda has lived at the Racal
residence for 25 years. Linda enjoys going to the local supermarket
to shop for her residence, eagerly attends the Creative Exchange
evening program, and enjoys doing word search puzzles and
watching I Love Lucy re-runs. JoAnne states that Linda is a pleasure
to be around—always willing to lend a hand to her housemates and
greeting people with a warm hello and a smile. The one thing about
Linda that stands out the most is that she loves to achieve perfect
attendance at her day program each month.
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Greene Residence
Celebrates the Holidays
and Hortense Crafton’s
80th Birthday
The holiday celebration at the
Greene Residence in South Ozone
Birthday girl Hortense Crafton
Park on December 22 was filled
with music and fun for the 10 turned 80 years old on December 27.
resident individuals and their
families. The staff cooked a delicious dinner, individuals helped
decorate, and holiday music played in the background. Earlier, there
was an Ugly Sweater party where some individuals hot glued light-up
necklaces to their garments for a dramatic effect.
It was also a special celebration for resident Hortense Crafton, who
turned 80 on December 27.
Hortense, who was born in Virginia and raised in Harlem, has been at
the Greene Residence since 1981. “She is like the ‘grandmother’ of
the house,” says Resident Manager Teresa Walker. “Although she
uses a wheelchair, Hortense is always watching out for the people
here to make sure they’re doing what they should be doing. She may
be quiet but she’s outspoken, and when she wants to be heard, she’ll
let you know.”
Hortense enjoys old blues and early Motown music. She talks fondly
of her younger days and the mischief she would get into with her
sister Audrey, who sadly passed away a few years ago. Hortense is
often visited by Audrey’s son and family, as well as her niece Caroline.
Although everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Hortense at the holiday
party, there was a special celebration on her actual birthday,
including a cake decorated
with Hortense’s picture.
We congratulate Hortense on
this birthday milestone and
wish her many more to come.
The individuals at the Greene
Residence sing Happy Birthday to
Hortense Crafton.
(212) 741-0100 www.lifespire.org