Lenox Hill Neighborhood House

Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House
WINTER 2011 Newsletter
Early Childhood
Center Named
One of Top Programs
in New York!
We are thrilled to announce that our Early
Childhood Center was selected as one of
the top early childhood programs in New
York by Social Impact Research (SIR) of Cambridge,
Massachusetts. SIR, an independent research initiative
of Root Cause, is modeled after private sector equity
research firms, analyzes and distributes actionable
information on social issues and recommends high
performing nonprofits to help investors make informed
philanthropic decisions.
Using a rigorous research methodology, SIR
examined more than 1,700 early childhood centers
operating in the New York City area and selected
high-performing organizations to recommend to
investors. SIR determined that the most effective
approach to prepare at-risk students to succeed
in school is a comprehensive program with three
components: curriculum and education, parent
involvement and complementary services. After
a thorough review of our organizational and
programmatic data, SIR chose us as one of the top
seven programs in New York to successfully prepare
at-risk pre-school children for school.
Research illustrates the great need for quality early
childhood education programs: 40% of children
under age 6 in New York State are low-income and
it is estimated that investment in a universal early
education program that serves all of New York State’s
children would save the state between $555 million
and $828 million annually on K-12 education
expenditures. Low-income children who experience
high quality early childhood education exhibit better
academic outcomes through high school and higher
rates of employment. It is vital to their social, emotional
and academic development and is the critical factor
that helps children develop into responsible adults who
make a positive impact on society.
Our NAEYC-accredited, award-winning and nationallyrecognized
Early Childhood Center sets the standard in
early childhood education while offering 141 very lowincome
pre-school children and their families a full-day,
year-round developmentally appropriate educational
and social experience and broad continuum of services
in a preeminent setting.
We are honored to have received this recognition. To
learn more, visit our website at www.lenoxhill.org.
IN THIS ISSUE 2 Meet our new CFO 4 Makeovers for Moms 5 Economic Security
Initiative Clinic Launched

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
COMMUNITY
Aaron Dannenberg Joins the
Neighborhood House as CFO
A
aron Dannenberg joined us as our new Chief Financial
Officer in October. As CFO, Aaron is leading our efforts
in the areas of finance, administration, human resources
and information technology. Prior to joining the Neighborhood
House, Aaron worked in corporate finance in New York, including
more than 10 years in leveraged finance at Citigroup. Previously,
Aaron was a lawyer in the Clinton White House, worked as
the Director of Credit and Investment at the U.S. Agency for
International Development in Washington, D.C. and spent a
number of years in private practice in New York. During and
after college, Aaron worked for Assemblyman Dick Gottfried,
providing constituent housing services on the Upper West Side
of Manhattan. Aaron is a graduate of New York University, The
Georgetown Law Center and Columbia Business School. We are
thrilled to have Aaron on our team!
Seniors Gather to
Watch “Oriental
Splendor”
The Chinese Oriental Arts
Performing Troupe—30 retired
seniors from China ages 50 to
80—visited Lenox Hill Neighborhood
House to showcase a celebration
of the arts of China. This wonderful
performance was followed by a Q & A
session with the performers. Our Older
Adult Services staff and our Visual and
Performing Arts Department worked
in cooperation with Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney’s office to put on
this entertaining event.
23 • WINTER 2011 • CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

AROUND AROUND THE THE NEIGHBORHOOD
COMMUNITY
A Look Back at a Neighborhood House Hero
Henry Walsh (1916-1980) was a neighborhood icon. He grew up on East
87th Street, attended grade school on East 91st Street, was married in the
neighborhood and raised his three children on East 72nd Street. Though
Mr. Walsh worked 33 years for a shipping company, his true passion was coaching
basketball to the kids who lived in the neighborhood. He always knew about Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House, but became a devoted member in 1970 after St. Catherine of
Siena had to close its gym to the boys and girls basketball teams. Mr. Walsh scoured
the East Side for a new venue and found Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. He then
volunteered his time for ten years to open and close our gym on Saturdays, Sundays
and several nights a week so the local neighborhood children had a place to play and
Henry Walsh
learn. Mr. Walsh supervised the gym, organized intramural competitions and taught
the fundamentals of basketball and sportsmanship. “He was everybody’s dad,” said
his son Jim Walsh, who remembers his father coaching him and his friends from the sidelines of the Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House gym in his Adidas sneakers and baggy jeans with a whistle hanging out of his pocket.
“He loved kids and he loved helping other people. He obviously had a big influence on my life, but he touched
hundreds of other children too.” Henry Walsh’s work lives on in the lives of the hundreds of children in our
neighborhood who he helped. His legacy is also kept alive in our continuing work with over 400 low-income
children and their families each year who receive an exceptional education, including daily time for sports and
recreational activities in our gym.
Neighborhood House Hosts
Gift Wrapping at Borders
Volunteers from Lenox Hill Neighborhood House staffed a holiday gift wrapping table at Borders
Bookstore on 57th Street and Park Avenue for three busy days during the holidays. We are so happy to
continue our ongoing partnership with Borders! Each year Borders offers local nonprofit organizations
the opportunity to raise awareness of their programs and collect donations by hosting a gift wrapping table—
hundreds of Borders customers were able to learn about our programs, find out about volunteer opportunities
and donate books to the 141 low-income children in our Early Childhood Center while doing their holiday
shopping. Borders has been a wonderful partner and opportunities like these are increasingly important when the
need for our services is expanding and our resources are limited.
DID YOU
KNOW …
That we partnered with the Lower East Side Ecology Center
to host an Electronic Recycling Event at our East Side
Headquarters on January 23rd?
WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 3

IN THE COMMUNITY
Makeovers for Moms!
A
team from the designer alice + olivia visited the Neighborhood House
in December and did complete makeovers for five mothers of children
in our Early Childhood Center! The team did hair styling, makeup and
clothing for the moms and presented fantastic gifts for their children. We are
thrilled to have been chosen by Baby Buggy to participate in these wonderful
makeovers. Every year, Baby Buggy provides generous in-kind donations of
clothing and other necessities to the families in our Early Childhood Center.
The event was such a success and our moms came out looking simply fabulous!
One of the moms had just received her GED and was going on her first job
interview with the new clothes she received. The event was filmed by News
Channel 4 and is set to air soon. Check out more photos of this event on our
Facebook page.
Local Catholic High
Schools Give Back to
Their Community
T
hree local Catholic high schools—St. Jean
Baptiste, Regis and Xavier—have a rich
tradition of partnering with Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House as their students volunteer year
after year to help individuals and families in need and
learn the values of social justice. These preeminent
schools, with significant service learning requirements,
have educational missions that go beyond pure
academics. Their emphasis on community service and
service-learning allows students to apply what they
learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems while
deepening their commitment to their community and
making a difference to those less fortunate. These
volunteer assignments are often the students’ first
experience with significant responsibility and we are
excited to watch them grow in their roles.
During this academic year, we have hosted five student
volunteers, four of whom are assisting as Teacher’s
Aides in our Early Childhood Center classrooms and
one who is helping as an Activity Aide in our CARE
Social Adult Day Program for Seniors with Alzheimer’s
Disease and other cognitive difficulties. Our clients,
young and old, greatly enjoy the company and help of
our student volunteers.
Supervision is provided by each school’s service
program, by our Teachers and Program Directors and
by Anthony Snowden, Volunteer Director at Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House. We are so thankful for these
wonderful school partnerships that provide invaluable
support to our clients and foster a commitment to
social justice and helping those in need! If you would
like to learn how you can join our efforts as a volunteer,
please contact Anthony Snowden, Volunteer Director, at
212 744 5022, ext. 1238 or asnowden@lenoxhill.org.
Billy Carballeira from Regis High School
helps out in the Sunshine Classroom
45 • WINTER 2011 • CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
City Comptroller Liu Visits 70th Street Senior Center
City Comptroller John Liu
visited the 70th Street
Senior Center in
November. He spoke with dozens
of members about the issues
facing New Yorkers and joined the
Senior Chorale for an impromptu
concert.
Neighborhood House
Launches Economic
Security Initiative Clinic
for Low-Income Seniors
Project SCOPE, our case management program
for thousands of frail and homebound seniors
on Manhattan’s East Side, has just launched a
new Economic Security Initiative (ESI) Clinic with the
help of six trained senior volunteers. The ESI Clinic will
permit us to expand our work to increase the economic
security for seniors living below 250% of the Federal
Poverty Level ($2,256 a month for a single individual).
Volunteers have begun to provide comprehensive
reviews of seniors’ financial situations and are working
to increase their incomes and decrease their expenses.
We are measuring our progress against the Elder
Economic Security Standard Index, which provides
a realistic, geographically-based operating budget
for seniors residing in their own homes. The Index
quantifies the actual costs of basic expenses for
older adults and is calibrated to reflect the needs of
specific living situations, including varying housing
and health statuses.
Neighborhood House staff members trained the
volunteer ESI Clinic team in December and January
and covered topics such as client engagement, the
economic case management process, government
benefits and available resources. Many of our
community volunteers came to us with significant
experience in finance and social services. ESI Clinic
volunteers are now meeting individually with clients,
conducting holistic economic assessments, assisting
clients in developing a plan that addresses their unique
economic needs and then implementing those plans,
whether it involves assisting someone in obtaining a
public benefit like Food Stamps, referring someone to
a job-training program or providing advocacy related
to health insurance. The clinic meets three days a week,
on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and all day on
Fridays. Clients receive individual help with one of our
volunteers; the ESI volunteer team is supervised by
three of our case management social workers. Potential
clients can schedule an ESI Clinic appointment by
calling 212 744 5022, ext. 1220.
WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 5

IN THE COMMUNITY
RealArts Final Bow
Children in our RealArts After School Program
presented original work created during the
Fall Session in our auditorium on December
9th. Performances included music, dance, drama,
digital arts, a film short and a slide show from our
swim program. Family and teachers gathered to watch
the imaginative pieces, including an original theatrical
presentation called “Trouble at the Watering Hole,” an
original dance and drumming piece called “Migration”
and a Photoshop montage by the 3-D Digital
Animation group called “Animals on the Great Plains.”
We are proud to offer these children an exceptional
education in visual art, creative movement, music and
drama instruction. We are so grateful for the generous
support of the William C. Bullitt Foundation, the
Pinkerton Foundation, the Ambrose Monell Foundation,
the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and many
individual donors who make our RealArts After School
Program possible.
Neighborhood House Leaders Share Expertise
DANIEL FARRELL, Director of our Women’s Mental Health Shelter at the Park Avenue Armory,
presented a workshop on “The Study of a Chronically Homeless Mentally Ill Woman” in December
at The New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology. Danny focused on the use of empathic
attunement and positive selfobject transference to facilitate the successful transition out
of homelessness.
ANTHONY SNOWDEN, Volunteer Director, presented at the Council of Senior Centers and Services
of NYC’s 22 nd Annual Conference on Aging in January. Anthony discussed how volunteers and interns
bring diverse experiences, skills and knowledge which add a unique dimension in the workplace
and focused on ways that organizations can maximize volunteers and interns while fulfilling their
educational and engagement needs.
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AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Neighborhood House
Social Workers, Advocates
and Attorneys Team Up
to Change a Man’s Life
Mia Kandel,
one of the
attorneys in
our Legal Advocacy and
Organizing Department,
recently helped Ernest
Williams remain in his
home and obtain critical
government benefits. Mr.
Williams, 67, was born
in Harlem, served our
country in Vietnam and
worked at various jobs in New York before retiring at
age 55 after becoming disabled due to his diabetes. He
came to our Legal Department for help after suffering
a stroke which left him with cognitive impairments
and some paralyzation. As a result of his cognitive
impairments, he neglected to pay his rent and came
to us facing eviction. Mia successfully represented
Mr. Williams in Housing Court and helped him obtain
financial assistance grants to pay the rent he owed. We
also began to provide financial and case management
services through Project SCOPE, our program for
thousands of frail and homebound seniors, to help
Mr. Williams stay current on his bills and ensure that
his needs are met. We then assisted Mr. Williams in
obtaining Food Stamps to enable him to have sufficient
funds to purchase healthy food and helped him to apply
for Medicaid and home care so that he could receive
the care he needs to remain living safely at home. We
also assisted with the creation of a pooled income trust
so that Medicaid would cover the cost of his home care
and he could use his limited income to pay for his rent
and other monthly expenses. This is a terrific example
of the diverse services we can bring to bear to help our
clients who depend on us.
Ernest Williams
Shelter Clients Visit
Botanical Gardens
Residents from our Women’s Mental
Health Shelter at the Park Avenue
Armory visited the New York Botanical
Garden in November. Residents had a great time
exploring the gardens, including the special
exhibition of Japanese Chrysanthemums.
WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 7

CELEBRATING THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
LENOX HILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE ASSOCIATES PARTY
October 26, 2010
Over 250 Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Associates “Celebrated the
Neighborhood” with cocktails at Tiffany’s flagship store on 5th Avenue,
followed by dinner and dancing at ’21’ Club. Guests previewed the new
leather collection designed by Richard Lambertson and John Truex during
a stunning cocktail hour. The evening was sponsored by Tiffany & Co. and
raised more than $110,000 for programs at the Neighborhood House.
A
B C D E
F G H
I
Photo Credit: Joe Schildhorn from Billy Farrell Agency
DON’T MISS IT
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
Spring Gala Celebration
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Honoring: Elizabeth Rohatyn
Featuring Designer Decorated Tables
Underwritten by Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Cipriani 42nd Street
Cocktails: 7:00 pm | Dinner & Dancing: 8:30 pm
For reservations & information please call 212 835 9700
A: Barbara Regna, Kirk Ressler, Diana Quasha
(Board Chair) and Peter Regna
B: Doug Steinbrech, Amy Hoadley and
Mark Gilbertson
C: Margery Baker-Riker (Board Member) and
Stephen Riker
D: Christopher Spitzmiller (Committee Chairman)
E: Blakely Griggs and Cindy Ketchum
(Committee Chairman)
F: Warren B. Scharf (Executive Director) and
Diana Quasha (Board Chair)
G: Vicky Ward, Mary Snow (Board Member and
Committee Chairman) and Whitney Douglass
(Committee Chairman)
H: Matthew Talomie (Associate Publisher, Elle
Decor) and Barbara Friedmann (VP, Publisher,
Elle Decor)
I: Kathy Prounis and John Truex
89 • WINTER 2011 • CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

CELEBRATING THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
THANKSGIVING
DINNER DANCE
FOR 450 SENIORS A
TRIUMPHANT SUCCESS
A
B
November 22, 2010
Our annual Thanksgiving
Dinner Dance for 450 seniors
on November 22nd was a huge
success! The food was delicious,
spirits were high and the guests
danced the night away to a
wonderful jazz band after dinner.
We also had an accompanied
sing-a-long with professionals
in the Senior Center for our
clients who are more frail. We
received visits from our elected
officials—including New York City
Comptroller John Liu, New York
State Senator Liz Krueger and
New York City Council Member
Dan Garodnick—and are so grateful
to our volunteers, including those
from New York Life and Met Life,
and our financial supporters who
make this East Side event such a
memorable evening every year.
C
D
A: New York City Council
Member Dan Garodnick,
Frances Beatty Adler, Allen
Adler and Thomas J. Edelman
(Board President)
B: New York City Comptroller
John Liu and New York State
Senator Liz Krueger
E
C: Volunteers from
New York Life
D: Dancing after dinner
E: Guests enjoy a festive meal
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
CELEBRATES WINTER
The children in our Early Childhood Center presented
their annual Winter Celebration in January with
adorable performances by each classroom. This
year’s program, “Winter in the City,” included a song
and dance called “City Winter Song,” poems and
songs from the classroom curriculum and a finale
titled “Walking in the Air.” The stage was decked out
with fantastic artwork depicting iconic landmarks
in New York City including the Statue of Liberty,
Empire State Building and our very own Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House headquarters!
WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 9

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Neighborhood House
Leaders Present
at International
Settlement House
Conference
Musical Guests Perform
for CARE Clients
CARE, our Social Adult Day Program,
enhances the well-being and emotional
health of cognitively frail older adults,
including persons with Alzheimer’s disease or
related dementia. CARE provides a safe, caring
environment and helps older adults participate
in group and individualized activities, while also
providing a respite for full-time family caregivers.
Music is a key component of the program and
famed entertainer Steve Ross is a regular visitor. We
have been fortunate with a stream of superb guest
performers visiting the program recently, including
Inbal Sharett, an Israeli mezzo soprano and the
granddaughter of Moshe Sharett, the second Prime
Minister of Israel, and Joe Sirola. We are so grateful
for our musical guests who make such a difference
to our clients!
Hundreds gathered in New York in
October for the Settlement Summit,
a conference that brought together
nonprofit leaders from around the world to
exchange ideas and celebrate the holistic
settlement house model. Many staff members
from Lenox Hill Neighborhood House presented
at this gathering as we continue to share our
ideas and programs that improve the lives of
20,000 New Yorkers in need. Rachael Neff,
Assistant Executive Director, and Miles Crettien,
Coordinator of Healthy Foods and Wellness,
presented on Building Healthy Communities
through Food; Rachael Neff and Liz Coker,
Director of Research and Evaluation, presented
on Utilizing Research, Evaluation and Social
Auditing across Settlement Houses – European
and American Perspectives on What Matters in
Evaluation; and Marian Detelj, Director of Children
and Family Services, presented on Innovative
Strategies for Early Childhood Education.
DID YOU
KNOW …
That we are offering two fantastic programs to help you file your taxes?
We’ll be providing free tax preparation services with AARP certified
preparers, and self-preparation tax services including on-site coaches and
free access to Turbo Tax, with support from the Food Bank of New York City
and the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. Find out how to maximize
your refund on our website.
10 11 •• WINTER 2011 •• CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
Second Sundays
Performance Series
March 13, 2011
Tap City Youth Ensemble
A project of American Tap Dance Foundation
A dazzling variety of tap dance forms by dancers
of all ages
April 10, 2011
Young Peoples Chorus of NY
Choral music by internationally-acclaimed chorus
May 15, 2011
Diane McKoy and Gospel Music Arts
A unique look at the history of “gospel” music from
Gregorian Chant to Bluegrass to Rock featuring
performances by several guest artists
Community Theatre
The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Players performed “The Games
People Play” in November, four entertaining one-act plays selected from
last year’s original works series. This was the 11th annual production by
our Community Theatre of original one-act plays, which explored basic
social interactions that reveal secret ploys and unconscious maneuvers
that are often part of human behaviors. The Community Theatre
production had 16 participants including playwrights, production crew
and actors, all of whom are members of our community.
DID YOU
KNOW …
That we received a fabulous $35,000 grant from The Frank
E. Clark Charitable Trust to upgrade the Electrical Systems at
Casa Mutua, our supportive housing residence in East Harlem?
WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 11

331 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
212 744 5022
www.lenoxhill.org
Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House
331 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
T: 212 744 5022
www.lenoxhill.org
Casa Mutua
159-61 East 102nd Street
New York, NY 10029
T: 212 348 0223
Senior Center /
CARE Program
343 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
T: 212 744 5905
Senior Center at
Saint Peter’s Church
619 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
T: 212 308 1959
Women’s Mental
Health Shelter
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065
T: 212 570 1461
LENOX HILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Honorary Chairs
Mrs. Felix G. Rohatyn
Mrs. Sydney Roberts
Shuman
Chair
Diana Ronan Quasha
President
Thomas J. Edelman
Vice Presidents
Gary A. Beller
Christy Pennoyer
John Rosselli
David M. Wirtz
Secretary
Helene H. Tilney
Treasurer
Juan A. Sabater
Members
Raj Alva
Kathy Angele
Nancy S. Baker
Margery Baker-Riker
Mal L. Barasch
Wendy Cebula
Clo Cohen
Thompson Dean
Eva Dillon
Helene D. Goldfarb
Mrs. Martin Gruss
Amabel B. James
Mark J. Kimsey
John H. Manice
Guy G. Rutherfurd, Jr.
Mary Snow
Randy Takian
Charles S. Warren
Hedi H. White
Bunny Williams
Mrs. Stanley Zabar
Honorary Members
Christopher J. Elkus
Albert Hadley
Renée Landegger
Guy G. Rutherfurd
Executive Director
Warren B. Scharf
WINTER 2011 Newsletter