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In the News....
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May June 2019
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GRADUATION 2019
VANDERHEYDEN HOLDS GRADUATION
AND MOVING UP CEREMONIES JUNE 26, 2019
Congratulations to Vanderheyden's 2019 Graduates and to our 8th graders who will be entering high school.
What a picture perfect day for the commencement ceremony and reception held outside
the Richard A. Desrochers Educational Center at the main campus in Wynantskill.
Thank you to all our Team Members who influenced and guided our graduates on their way to this milestone occasion!
Congratulations to Vanderheyden's Class of 2019!
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ALL SET TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Mary Z-M will be missed at Vanderheyden.
The 2019 Vanderheyden graduate entertained our agency for the past nine months with her spectacular singing and dancing talent.
College is in Mary's future, along with a move to California.
Mary plans on attending the two-year Pierce College in Los Angeles, with a goal of moving on to UCLA for her bachelor's degree.
"I'm going to be majoring in forensics and criminal justice," she said. "I just find it's really interesting to find out whose fingerprints or whose DNA was left behind. I watched a lot of Law and Order, so I kind of got into it like that."
Besides singing and dancing, Mary also likes to watch TV, hanging out with her friends, and listening to music. Ariana Grande is her favorite singer.
Her love of song and dance began as a child, she said.
"My Mom got me into gymnastics, and then I moved on to cheerleading, which had the dancing in it," Mary said. "Me and my Dad used to sing together when I was a little baby before he passed away, so that's how I got into singing."
While at Vanderheyden, Mary said she enjoyed the advice and caring of several of our Team Members, and said they don't just care about a paycheck. One of our House Managers, Lanika Moore, tops the list of those who care.
"She's kind of like a Mom," Mary said. "She's kind of like my second Mom."
The recreation activities also made the list of "likes" while at Vanderheyden she said.
"I liked going skating and bowling," Mary said.
The Heavenly Glitz and Glam prom event was also one of her favorite memories.
"The prom was fun," Mary said. "They did a really good job. Everything was very well put together."
She also said Vanderheyden made a difference in her life.
"I noticed that I'm more able to express myself more, and I stopped really caring about what people thought about me," Mary said.
Now that Mary has graduated, she is ready to change the world by wanting to fix the problems in the country.
"I'm going to be president one day," she said. "That is something I've always wanted to do, though I'm not a big political person."
Thank you, Mary, for enriching not only your life here at Vanderheyden, but ours as well! You will be missed.
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VANDERHEYDEN'S 2ND ANNUAL
EIGHT WAR HEROES HONORED FROM
TROY ORPHAN ASYLUM AND FAIRVIEW HOME
"We come together to honor and remember our military members from Vanderheyden who answered America's call to service, who chose to defend America from the 1800s to the 1970s, and paid the ultimate price," Karen Carpenter Palumbo, President and CEO of Vanderheyden said.
Featured speakers included:
- Nick Lanier, Assistant Director of Veteran Enrollment at The College of St Rose, who served in the US Army and was deployed twice to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- Carrie Farley, a Gold Star Mother and former President of the Albany Chapter and the Department of New York American Gold Star Mothers.
- Assemblyman John McDonald, 108th Assembly District New York
The ceremony was held at the Troy Orphan Asylum obelisk at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, which is located near the Victorian fountain, the Earl Chapel and the historic Meneely tolling bell.
Our individuals honored included:
- Thomas Gould Morrison, Captain, Union Army, Company G, 61st Infantry Regiment, who died near Todd's Tavern, Virginia in the Battle of Spotsylvania on May 8, 1864. He was 27 years old.
- Charles Floyd Mosher, Private First Class, USMC, 5th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Company, who died near Vierzy in France on July 29, 1918. He was 21 years old and was in the first contingent of Marines in France.
- Herman A.C. Gajeway, Jr, Water Tender First Class, U.S. Navy, who died October 17, 1941 in the Battle of the Atlantic. He was awarded a Purple Heart. Gajeway was 26 years old.
- John George Gunn, Corporal, U.S. Army, 31st Infantry Regiment, who died in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippine Islands, August 10, 1942. He was awarded the Bronze Star. Gunn was 22 years old.
- Arthur Clarence Squires, Jr., Private, USMCR, 22nd Marines, 1st Provisional Brigade, Company C, Fire Brigade, who died at Agat, Guam in the Mariana Islands on July 24, 1944. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Squires was 20 years old.
- Preston Russell Smith, Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 26th Infantry, 1st Division, who died in Sicily during the North Africa campaign on July 27, 1943. He was awarded the Silver Star and an Oak Leaf Cluster. Smith was 23 years old.
- Cornell "Corky" Pettys, Specialist E-4, U.S. Army, USARV, D Troop, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry, Americal Division who died in Quang Ngai, Vietnam on September 1, 1969. He was awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service and Vietnam Campaign. Pettys was 22 years old.
- John Charles Hines, Corporal, US Marine Corps, Company M, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF, who died near Hill 50 north of the Ly Ly River in Que Son District Quang, Quang Nam, Vietnam on August 24, 1970. Hines was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat "V" and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V." He was 23 years old.
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A HEAVENLY GLITZ AND GLAM NIGHT!
Vanderheyden's Richard A. Desrochers Educational Center at our Wynantskill campus was transformed into a spectacular and dazzling scene for a prom-type event for our RTC individuals and day students.
Thank you to all who made this event a very special one for our RTC campus individuals!
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INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST PROGRAM
Vanderheyden is excited to introduce our new program - Day Habilitation With Walls.
The program serves adults with developmental disabilities, and is designed to ensure that small groups or individuals experience skill development and community involvement. Day Hab With Walls, located in East Greenbush, also engages the individuals in learning life skills and socialization.
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THANK YOU MOHAWK HONDA!
Mohawk Honda's Senior Management presented a $10,000 check to Vanderheyden President and CEO Karen Carpenter Palumbo in celebration of Mohawk Honda's 100-year anniversary.
The fourth generation, family-owned Honda dealership in Scotia, recently announced its commitment to donate $100,000 to 10 local nonprofits in the Capital Region in celebration of their milestone in the automobile business, and, as a business partner in the community.
Thank you so much, Mohawk Honda, for your ongoing support of Vanderheyden!
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MAKING A REAL IMPACT IN MANY WAYS
Valery Steele has been with Vanderheyden for only a short time, but has made so many positive contributions to our agency.
The Colombia, South American native moved to the United States with her family when she was 12 years old. Rome, New York is where her family called their new home.
After graduating from Rome Free Academy and being a part of the Mohawk Valley Community College's bridge program, Steele received a degree in psychology.
After a short break, Steele continued her education at SUNY IT, which is now SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, where she graduated with a bachelors in psychology.
"My Mom was always encouraging me to keep on with schooling and education and things like that," she said.
Next on her educational agenda was a master's degree in mental health counseling from SUNY Albany, and then a job at Vanderheyden as a clinician for our Rubin group home.
"I graduated in December, and I started working here in January," Steele said. "My friend applied for a job at Vanderheyden, and said there are more jobs open."
In the year-and-a-half Steele has been at Vanderheyden, she moved up from a clinician to Clinical House Manager, where she oversees clinicians, Team Members and interns at Rubin.
There are many aspects of Vanderheyden that Steele loves.
Topping the list is the support she receives from her Supervisors, Vice-President of Community Services Maura Psoinos, and Director of Community Services Deb Demers. Steele said she also receives support from other House Managers, and said they are there for her if she needs help or to share ideas.
Fellow Team Members reaching out and being available to help is very important, she said.
"You feel welcome and you establish relationships, and when you go to the main campus, everyone says 'Hi Val' and I really like that," Steele said. "It makes you feel good about yourself."
The ability to move up or move to different positions in the Vanderheyden family along with the flexibility is another reason Steele makes her career here.
Speaking about family, Steele's husband Carlos is also in the Vanderheyden family. He's the DSP Supervisor of our Huntley group home.
Steele said Carlos is also from the area of Colombia she grew up in, and actually had the same nurse deliver them both. They are the proud parents of a two and three year old boy and girl.
On her time away from Vanderheyden, Steele enjoys spending time with her family, going to the movies and watching television.
"I've always loved those criminal mystery shows," she said. "I think they're interesting. The real live ones, and, a real mystery."
Traveling is also on Steele's list of favorite things to do. Her family tries to go to the Cayman Islands to visit family every year, and also goes back to Colombia and Nicaragua.
Thank you, Val, for taking great care of our individuals! We appreciate the great job you do!!
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THANK YOU STEWART'S SHOPS!
Thank you Stewart's Shops for giving Vanderheyden $5,000 from your Holiday Match Program!!
The donation will go towards therapeutic programs for our children and youth.
The check presentation was held at Stewart's Shop #294 in Wynantskill, near Vanderheyden's main campus.
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A NIGHT OF TRIVIA IN GLENS FALLS!
A trivia fundraising event was held in Glens Falls to benefit Vanderheyden's upcoming Annual Community Services Summer Bash Dance!
The event was held at The Grateful Den on Hudson Street, where the winning team walked away with "A Day at the Races" - five VIP Clubhouse Box seats to Saratoga Race Course!
Thank you New York Racing Association!!
Thank you to our many sponsors and donors: NYRA, Target, Warren Tire in Glens Falls, Starbucks, Alexis Diner, Ben & Jerry's, NY Wine and Liquor, Carol's Place, Bay Meadows Golf Course, Saratoga Restaurant Equipment Sales, Deify in North Greenbush, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Proctors, Dunkin' Donuts, The Tri-City ValleyCats, Effie and Isabel's Giftique, 4J's Farm in Averill Park, Brunswick Harley Davidson, The Hyde Collection, Mass MoCA, Glens Falls VFW, the Adirondack Experience, La Bella's in Wynantskill, Stacy Davis, Christine F from Philo, the Davis Family and Karen Carpenter Palumbo...and, thank you to The Grateful Den for hosting our event!
Vanderheyden's Community Services Dance will be held in August for our individuals in our Group Homes and various programs throughout the Capital District.
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THANK YOU TROY CITY COUNCIL!
Vanderheyden's Pawling Group Home in Troy was the recipient of a grant from the Troy City Council.
The money will be used for a community garden, a bench and a picnic table for our Pawling Avenue neighborhood to share.
The Troy City Council awarded over $17,000 for 24 projects throughout the City as part of its successful Neighborhood Improvement Program.
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A DAY OF FUN FOR OUR STUDENTS!
THANK YOU STUDENT COUNCIL!
Vanderheyden's Student Council held its annual festival at the Richard A. Desrochers Educational Center for our students.
Plenty of games, food, and prizes were found at the day of fun!
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A most-grateful thank you to the volunteers from Loudonville Community Church for their help with Spring cleaning at Vanderheyden's Wynantskill campus!
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GRADUATION AND MOVING UP RTC PICNIC!
Vanderheyden's wonderful Wynantskill RTC Team Members hosted their annual Graduation/Moving Up/Discharge Picnic for our individuals in June.
Thank you, Team Members, for always making this a great event!
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VANDERHEYDEN AT THE STATE CAPITAL
THE KICKOFF TO CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK
Vanderheyden's President and CEO Karen Carpenter Palumbo joined Senators Diane Savino and David Carlucci, Assemblymembers Aileen Gunther and Harry Bronson, NYS Coalition for Children's Behavior Health Executive Director Andrea Smyth, Bill Gettman from
Northern Rivers, children's behavioral health providers, advocates, and licensed mental health professionals to call for legislation to support the behavioral health care workforce.
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TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE
THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS FROM KEY BANK!
Thank you to KeyBank for helping with various tasks around Vanderheyden's Wynantskill campus on the Annual Neighbors Make the Difference Day!
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VISITING SCHOOL 2 IN TROY
Vanderheyden had another awesome time at the "What's Up Summer Celebration!" at School 2 in Troy!
Our Community Services Team Members were there representing two of our programs - Health Homes and CFTSS (Children and Families Treatment Support Services.)
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NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2019
Vanderheyden's Nurses and Health Services Department were honored at a luncheon for National Nurses Week 2019.
Thank you for all you do for our individuals! We appreciate you!
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THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY
Thank you to 2019 RPI graduate and basketball star LaKissa Martin for visiting and speaking with Vanderheyden's individuals.
LaKissa is such an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing your life and your foster care experience with us!
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THANK YOU LEVERPOINT VOLUNTEERS!
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2019 FAMILIES TOGETHER CONFERENCE
Vanderheyden's Brittany Piccolo from Health Homes and Carrie Relf from SILP wonderfully represented our agency at the 2019 Families Together in New York State Annual Conference.
"Building Strong Roots for Success: Integration for Family Wellness" was held at the Albany Marriott Hotel.
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VANDERHEYDEN ON THE GO!
Vanderheyden was one of 50 participating employers at the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center's (EOC) Community Career Fair in Troy.
Our Team Members answered questions and handed out information to potential new additions to our organization. We look forward to welcoming new members to our team!
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THANK YOU HANNAFORD!
Vanderheyden is excited to be participating in the 2019 Hannaford Helps Schools program! Our participating location is at 40 Main Avenue, Wynantskill.
Help earn money for our school by shopping for participating products. For every 4 qualifying products you buy, our school earns $3! Choose from over 1,500 participating products, ranging from breakfast and lunch items to household supplies.
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VANDERHEYDEN'S 185TH ANNIVERSARY!
Stay tuned to our social media sites to find out about upcoming celebrations for our 185th year!
Vanderheyden
is commemorating 185 years of providing services to thousands of youth, individuals and families.
Vanderheyden is searching for Alumni and descendants with ties to the agency's long history, to relate their memories and inspirational stories of healing and growth. We are also looking for pictures, or any related items from Vanderheyden, the Troy Orphan Asylum and the Fairview Home for Friendless Children. Please reach out and leave a message at (518) 874-4964 or email us at: [email protected]
We are also inviting 185 individuals
to become members of the "1833 Society" with a donation of $1,833, to honor
the year our organization was formed.
Our hope is that you
will join in as someone that makes a
future impact
in the Vanderheyden legacy to change lives to save lives.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
.
For more information contact Cathy Yudzevich at
[email protected]
, or call (518) 874-4901.
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185TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY TIDBITS...
Here's some of Vanderheyden's 185th Anniversary History Facts that we have been sharing
with our Team Members each week:
In 1933, a book entitled "History of the Troy Orphan Asylum 1833-1933" was written by Irving E. Fancher. In 2018, a book about our first 185 years as the Troy Orphan Asylum, the Fairview Home and Vanderheyden Hall is being written by local author Don Rittner.
In the 1914, the TOA had the latest gadget called the Stereopticon, which was used for lectures for the school children. The Stereopticon, or Magic Lantern, projected a dual image on the big screen with two lenses, and was popular before the movie (moving picture) age.
In the 1908 sewing room, 1,024 garments were made for the boys, while 1,439 were made for the girls. 561 garments were made by the community, while Robert Cluett, president of Cluett, Peabody & Co. had 256 shirts made for the boys. Two new Singer sewing machines were added for classes.
On July 1, 1913, Herbert J. Hunn became Supervisor of the TOA. Hunn believed in supervised activities, so he immediately had the boys "out in the lot with baseball and bats, and had them playing baseball." He also took the boys swimming at Smart's Pond, who earned the privilege by good behavior. Hunn was responsible for getting individuals interested in sports.
In 1913, Supervisor Herbert J. Hunn was also responsible for interesting other institutions to take up the game of baseball, which led to the organization of inter-institutional baseball games. The games "created rivalry, healthful rivalry, and put a premium on good behavior at the Troy Orphan Asylum."
In 1935, the TOA was the only institution between New York City and Utica to admit children from birth to 16 years old. Even though the children were not to be cared for after the age of sixteen, the TOA concerned itself with the supervision and direction of the children until other satisfactory provisions were made for their welfare.
In 1935, Superintendent Hunn said the youngest child the TOA ever received was three hours old, and arrived in a market basket. Hunn said another baby traveled 100 miles to the TOA on the day of the baby's birth.
The Spring Avenue complex in Troy consisted of the main building, the Baby House (Bessey House), Tillinghast Memorial Chapel, Peterson Memorial Building, the infirmary, Hart Hospital, the reception building, the laundry, an ice house and the power house.
The children's playrooms at the TOA in the 1930s consisted of glass on one side to let the sunshine in, and concrete floors for roller skating, mechanical games and toys, marble games and sports of all kinds. Outdoor games played included using the slide, skiing, and playing ball.
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SAVE THE DATES!
YOU ARE INVITED TO BE OUR GUEST AT OUR 2019 UPCOMING EVENTS:
The Black and White Gala, join us for the biggest dazzling event in downtown Albany
coming New Year's Eve, December 31, 2019!
Sixty State Place, 60 State Street, Albany, New York 12207
Special rate on rooms at the Fairfield Inn and Suites, 74 State Street, Albany
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors!
To become a Sponsor, please contact Cathy Yudzevich at (518) 874-4901
More details to come.... Keep following us on Facebook!
As always, thank you for your support!
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BLUE BOX DONATIONS ALWAYS WELCOME!
Time to clean out your closets for the season! We will accept any unwanted clothing item! Bring them to our campus at 614 Cooper Hill Road in Wynantskill, and look for the "Blue Box" at the entrance to our parking lot. Thank you so much for your help!
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To make a donation on our website,
click on the "Donate Now" button.
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Non-Violence * Emotional Intelligence * Social Learning * Open Communication * Social Responsibility * Shared Governance * Growth & Change
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