Fall 2012 Newsletter - Lenox Hill Neighborhood House

Lenox HillNeighborhood HouseFALL 2012 NewsletterEarly ChildhoodCenter Hosts FarmersMarket and Math FairThis past spring, children in our EarlyChildhood Center hosted a FarmersMarket and a Math Fair, invitingparents, staff and friends to share in theirlearning and excitement.Throughout April, our 61 three-year-oldsfocused on nutrition as part of Keeping KidsHealthy Month, learning about food groupsand what goes into the foods that we eatand sampling many new foods. The unitculminated with our Farmers Market: eachclassroom chose a food group and decidedwhat types of food they wanted to showcaseat the market and then made price lists,displays and food.Our 80 four-year-olds then hosted ourinaugural Math Fair, where they displayedexciting projects created around their mathcurriculum. Visitors participated with thechildren in games and activities demonstratingthe concepts of shapes, measurements,operations, patterns and cardinality. The fairincluded a bunny hop used to demonstratepatterns, a bean bag toss illustrating theconcepts of counting and cardinality, a giraffefor measuring height and even a life-sizedrobot!IN THIS ISSUE5 Annual FirstAvenue Street Fair9 Meet Our NewestBoard Members10 Autumn PreviewFashion Show

IN THE NEIGHBORHOODCOMMUNITYDirector of Case Management Dina ZempskyInterviewed in Our TownOur Town featured an interview with Director of Case Management Dina Zempsky highlighting theimportance of case management services for older adults in our community. Many homebound seniorsdepend on our social workers and case managers to maintain their independence. As Dina points out,“Homebound elders are for the most part not a visible constituency, so it’s very difficult for them to advocatebecause no one really thinks of them….” We help more than 1,400 homebound seniors in Manhattan from 14thStreet to 143rd Street each year, providing vital services that allow our clients to remain in their community andage at home. We help clients pay bills and access government benefits, receive Meals on Wheels and assistancewith household chores and navigate complex social, housing and financial issues.Neighborhood House Partners with Paisley Farmfor Community Supported Agriculture ProgramFor this year’s CSA, we are partnering with Paisley Farm in Tivoli,New York to provide fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and cheeseto members of our community and our low-income clients for22 weeks. We also offer related initiatives such as nutrition and cookingworkshops and classes on storing and preserving produce. To read moreabout our sustainability efforts and recipes, check out our blog atwww.lenoxhillcsa.org.Karisa Werdon Selected as Carnegie Hall ChoralInstitute FellowKarisa Werdon, D.M.A., Assistant Director of RealArts and Educationat the Center @ Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, was selected asone of 21 Carnegie Hall Choral Institute Choral Fellows for the 2012-2013 season. From September through May she will be participating inworkshops, working with choirs such as the Oratorio Society of New York andthe Westminster Symphonic Choir and meeting with choral conductors fromaround New York City. The Choral Institute is aimed at giving music educatorsat all levels of practice the opportunity to renew their artistry and incorporatebest pedagogical practices in their classrooms; through this experience Karisaplans to build and enrich the thriving musical and artistic programming at theCenter, which already includes a percussion circle, “Cue the Composer” musicappreciation class and a regular singalong.2 • FALL 2012 • CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

AROUND AROUND THE THE NEIGHBORHOODCOMMUNITYABExcitingImprovementsat the Center@ Lenox HillNeighborhoodHouseCDElizabeth Rohatyn Awards forCommunity ServiceOn Thursday, April 26, weheld our 23rd annualVolunteer RecognitionCelebration, featuring thepresentation of the ElizabethRohatyn Awards for CommunityService. This year’s recipientswere Christopher Spitzmiller, anew member of the Board ofDirectors and longtime DesignCommittee Co-Chair at ourSpring Gala, and the global legalservices organization MayerBrown, whose staff have workedclosely for many years with ourLegal Advocacy and OrganizingDepartment.In addition to the awardspresentation, the Celebrationincluded remarks by BoardPresident Thomas J. Edelmanand Volunteer Director AnthonySnowden, a performanceby children in our RealArtsAfterschool Program andvolunteer reflections fromChristopher Deschenes, avolunteer at the Center @ LenoxHill Neighborhood House, andJean Prendergast, a volunteerat the Women’s Mental HealthShelter at the Park AvenueArmory. The Celebration honoredthe hundreds of volunteers whogive their time, expertise andenergy to help make programs atLenox Hill Neighborhood Housesuccessful and vital. Our thanks toall of our terrific volunteers!A: Attorneys from Mayer Brown withLenox Hill Neighborhood Housestaff and Board President Thomas J.EdelmanB: Director of Special Events VirginiaPitman with Award Recipient and BoardMember Christopher SpitzmillerC: Volunteer Director Anthony SnowdenD: Children in the RealArts AfterschoolProgram perform for guestsThanks to the outstandingsupport and partnership ofthe New York City Departmentfor the Aging and the New York CityHousing Authority, we were able toenhance the Center’s facilities overthe past few months to make themmore useful and inviting to Centermembers. These critical infrastructureimprovements will help immeasurably asour Innovative Senior Center continuesto provide activities to hundreds ofseniors every day, 365 days a year. Wealso began serving dinner in May andnow serve three healthy and deliciousmeals each day. With these renovations,Center members are able to enjoyan unparalleled array of educational,recreational, social and health andwellness activities, as well as wonderful,nutritious meals prepared fresh daily inour state-of-the-art Center.WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 3

IN THE COMMUNITYMeet Ariel Behr, Deputy Chief Program OfficerWe are thrilled to introduce Ariel Behr, our new Deputy Chief Program Officer. Ariel ishelping to oversee and manage our diverse programs for children and families, olderadults, homeless and formerly homeless adults and other New Yorkers and assessand improve their effectiveness.Ariel joined the Neighborhood House after spending the last several years working at a nationalnonprofit, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), where she focused on assistingcharter schools with their financing and local community development corporations with thecreation of affordable housing opportunities. Before obtaining her MBA at Columbia BusinessSchool, Ariel worked for the New York City Parks Department running their afterschoolcomputer programs in 20 locations throughout New York City. Ariel is from New York City andgraduated from Swarthmore College with a major in sociology and anthropology.SupportersRemember Lenox HillNeighborhood HouseEarly ChildhoodCenter Presents NewWorkshops for ParentsLenox Hill Neighborhood House has such a richhistory, serving New Yorkers in need for 118years since our founding as a free kindergartenfor the children of immigrants in 1894. We now offeran extensive array of effective and integrated humanservices to over 20,000 New Yorkers in need eachyear, ages 3 to 103. We receive tremendous supportfrom members of the community who want to helptheir neighbors in need; many of these supportershave chosen to include the Neighborhood House intheir legacy, helping to ensure that the NeighborhoodHouse can remain a vital resource for years tocome. Planned Giving allows donors to support theNeighborhood House in a way that not only benefitsthe Neighborhood House, but meets the needs ofdonors and their families. Planned Giving optionsinclude remembering the Neighborhood House in yourwill, charitable gift annuities, stock gifts and more. Formore information about Planned Giving, contact NoraTarr at 212 744-5022 x 1226 or ntarr@lenoxhill.org.Our Early Childhood Center offers a widevariety of workshops for parents thatallow them to see firsthand what theirchildren are learning at the Neighborhood Houseand then continue that learning at home. Excitingnew workshops this year have included the Powerof Play, Reading Aloud and a Science Workshop.The science workshop included demonstrations ofour science curriculum, including Planting, MixingColors, Digging for Fossils, Making Bubbles, MakingPlaydough, Making Heavy Cream and Magnetism.The parents rotated through stations and had theopportunity to experience what the children do andlearn in the classroom through science exploration.Parents then relayed their experiences completingthe activities and shared what they learned with thelarger group.4 • FALL 2012 • CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODNeighborhood HouseHosts AnnualFirst Avenue Street FairWe hosted our annual First Avenue Street Fairon Saturday, June 9. Neighborhood Housestaff and supporters had a great time sharingour various programs with thousands of members of thecommunity. The Street Fair, which spanned nine blocksfrom 70th Street to 79th Street along First Avenue,featured a stage with a full lineup of performancesand demonstrations, including a dramatic reading bymembers of our Community Theatre, a demonstrationby members of the Zumba class offered at the Center@ Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and a musicalperformance by children in our Early Childhood Center.We also had a booth with games for children hosted by our Early Childhood Center staff, a live salsa-makingdemo from our Healthy Foods and Wellness staff and thousands of giveaways for members of the community.Women’s Mental Health Shelter Clients EnjoySummer in the CityIn addition to ensuring that we meet the basic needs of the 100 women at our Women’s Mental HealthShelter at the Park Avenue Armory by providing shelter, nutritious meals, and social work, housing, medicaland psychiatric services, we work closely with our clients to help them build and maintain independenceand stability as they transition to their own apartments. We therefore provide opportunities for our clients to beinvolved in their community by taking advantage of the many cultural opportunities available in New York City.This summer, clients visited the New York Historical Society, the Rubin Museum, the Studio Museum in Harlem,the South Street Seaport Maritime Museum and the Freedom Riders exhibit at the Shabazz Center. Clients havealso visited the Central Park Zoo, participated in nutrition workshops with our Coordinator of Healthy Foodsand Wellness, taken in summer blockbusters like Spiderman and The Avengers and participated in Chelsea PiersSupportive Housing League Bowling.DID YOUKNOW …Casa Mutua, our supportive housing residence for 54 formerly homelessadults living with mental illness, has a Walking Club. The Walking Club meetsevery Friday morning and explores their neighborhood and nearby CentralPark, sharing conversation and exercise. Favorite sights have included turtlessunning along the Harlem Meer and the cherry blossoms blooming in theConservatory Garden.WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 5

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODMeet Our NewestBoard Members!We are thrilled to welcome our newest Board members,Kamie Lightburn and Christopher Spitzmiller, both longtimesupporters of the Neighborhood House!Kamie LightburnChristopher SpitzmillerKamie first became involved with Lenox Hill Neighborhood House in 2005and has helped up to expand and improve our special events. Kamie andher husband Richard have two children, Phoebe and Carter, who havevolunteered at our annual Thanksgiving Dinner Dance for older adults.Kamie is actively involved in the community and also serves as a BoardMember of the Central Park Conservancy Women’s Committee and aBoard member and Treasurer of the Horticultural Society.Christopher is a renowned ceramicist, creating custom lamps that havebeen chosen by three different presidents to light the Oval Office. He haslent his creativity and dedication to the Neighborhood House’s SpringGala since 2005, first serving as the Spring Gala Design Committee Chairfor two years and this past year serving as Co-Chair. Christopher has alsobeen an active member of our Associates Committee for many years andwas honored with the Elizabeth Rohatyn Award for Community Service.RealArts Summer CampDiscovers HarlemChildren in our Imagination Studio Digital Arts Camp discussedsouthern cooking and the famous restaurateur Sylvia Woods, “Queenof Soul Food.” Students studied Sylvia’s biography and used textand images to create an homage to this incredible woman to ensure that hermemory will live on after her death.DID YOUKNOW …Our four-year partnership with Mayer Brown was featured in the lawfirm’s most recent Pro Bono Update. Since 2009, our Legal Advocacyand Organizing Department has partnered with and trained Mayer Brownpartners and associates to prepare dozens of Supplemental Needs Trusts,which allow low-income older adults and disabled persons to obtain healthinsurance and maximize their limited funds to pay for food, housing andother basic needs.WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 9

IN THE COMMUNITYChildren Present Autumn Preview Fashion ShowSeven students in our RealArts AfterschoolProgram presented the Autumn Preview FashionShow, showcasing the capes they created as partof their “Become a Fashion Designer” class. To createtheir capes, each student picked her fabric and trimand created a “patternless pattern.” Each young designerlearned to pin, cut, fit, sew with a Singer sewing machineand hand-stitch, and then added her own unique creativetouches. The class was taught by twin sisters, artistLouise Masano and designer Andrea Masano.Sunny and Abe Rosenberg Foundation SupportsChild Abuse and Maltreatment Prevention andIntervention ProjectThe Neighborhood House received a fourth year grant of $25,000 from the Sunny and Abe RosenbergFoundation to support our Child Abuse and Maltreatment Prevention and Intervention Project, asignificant resource for some of the low-income children in our Early Childhood Center who are at riskof abuse or maltreatment. Thanks to this fantastic support, our interdisciplinary team is able to help families withindividual support and to expand our parenting groups using a strengths-based model that helps parents exploreand address their own experiences with abuse in a safe and supportive environment.Members of Senior Center at Saint Peter’s ChurchPresent Original PerformanceOn June 15 and 16, members of our SeniorCenter at Saint Peter’s Church presented“Seniors and the City: Stories of Our New York,”which members created and performed with help fromcommunity arts engagement program Seniors Partneringwith Artists Citywide (SPARC). Members used song,dance, comedy and oral history to revisit old New Yorkestablishments and share personal stories of love, workand their ties to the Big Apple.10 • FALL 2012 • CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LENOXHILLNEIGHBORHOODHOUSE

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODCollaboration with Sesame StreetBrings New Technologyto Early Childhood CenterClassroomsLenox Hill NeighborhoodHouse continues to enjoya longstanding partnershipwith Sesame Workshop, the nonprofitorganization behind Sesame Street.This past year, children in our Centerwere featured in a Sesame Workshopvideo “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me,” which was produced in English andSpanish. “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me” is a bilingual, multimedia outreachinitiative motivating children 2 to 5 years of age, their parents andcaregivers to care for children’s oral health. As a result of participating,children and their families received a free kit, which included a SesameStreet DVD, tips for parents and children’s activities. In August, weparticipated in a pilot program to develop Sesame Learning, a blendedlearninginstructional program that will utilize tablet computers to makecomplex concepts more approachable. This partnership allows us toexchange best practices with our colleagues throughout the country.Meet Deb FaderDeb Fader, L.M.S.W., is theSupervising Social Worker atCasa Mutua, our permanentsupportive housing residence for formerlyhomeless, mentally ill single adults onEast 102nd Street and has been withLenox Hill Neighborhood House for morethan six years. Deb particularly loves thecamaraderie and close community feel ofCasa, saying, “The staff is very close and we work as a team to enhancethe lives of our tenants. Staff and tenants eat together, go on tripstogether and work out disagreements together.” When she’s not atCasa Mutua, Deb enjoys spending time with her family and being activeoutside; she is also studying at the Metropolitan Institute for Training inPsychodynamic Psychotherapy.Second SundaysPerformanceSeriesAll performances take place inthe Lenox Hill NeighborhoodHouse Auditorium at 2:00pm.Performances are free for clientsand children; $5 suggesteddonation for all others.October 14TIN PAN BLUES BANDAmerican Roots MusicAn afternoon of 1920s styleswing, jump and blues music.November 11WASHINGTONSQUARE WINDSSongs You Know and LoveAn afternoon of popular favoritesfrom Irving Berlin to Scott Joplin.December 9ACTION RACKET THEATRETailored Tales Radio PlaysA fast-paced, interactiveradio play that features onairhighlights from the roaringtwenties to the new millennium.January 13NEW YORK MANDOLINENSEMBLEOriginal works and music fromaround the world featuring theMandolin family of instruments.WWW.LENOXHILL.ORG • 212 744 5022 • 11

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGEPAIDMILFORD, CTPERMIT NO. 80331 East 70th StreetNew York, NY 10021212 744 5022www.lenoxhill.orgLenox HillNeighborhood House331 East 70th StreetNew York, NY 10021T: 212 744 5022www.lenoxhill.orgCasa Mutua159-61 East 102nd StreetNew York, NY 10029T: 212 348 0223Center @ Lenox HillNeighborhood House /CARE Program343 East 70th StreetNew York, NY 10021T: 212 744 5905Senior Center atSaint Peter’s Church619 Lexington AvenueNew York, NY 10022T: 212 308 1959Women’s MentalHealth ShelterPark Avenue Armory643 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10065T: 212 570 1461LENOX HILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSEBOARD OF DIRECTORSHonorary ChairsElizabeth RohatynSydney RobertsShumanChairDiana Ronan QuashaPresidentThomas J. EdelmanVice PresidentsGary A. BellerChristy PennoyerJohn RosselliDavid M. WirtzSecretaryHelene H. TilneyTreasurerJuan A. SabaterMembersRaj AlvaKathy AngeleNancy S. BakerMargery Baker-RikerMal L. BaraschWendy CebulaClo CohenThompson DeanHelene D. GoldfarbAudrey B. GrussAmabel B. JamesMark J. KimseyKamie LightburnJohn H. ManiceElizabeth P. MunsonGuy G. Rutherfurd, Jr.Mary SnowChristopher SpitzmillerKristen SwensonRandy TakianCharles S. WarrenHedi H. WhiteBunny WilliamsJudith M. ZabarHonorary MembersChristopher J. ElkusRenée LandeggerExecutive DirectorWarren B. ScharfFALL 2012 Newsletter