Pix 11 News reported on the opening of Vital Brookdale, our newest supportive housing complex. Watch the video report and meet Anthony McQueen, one of our residents.
Watch the video:
The New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal released a press release on the opening of the Vital Brookdale apartment complex. This new building – located in Brownsville, Brooklyn – was created as part of the Vital Brookdale initiative in partnership with The Foundling.
As Melanie Hartzog, our President and CEO, stated in the press release: “We are grateful to the administration for their partnership in helping create Vital Brookdale, offering opportunity and promise for the people and communities that The New York Foundling serves. At The Foundling, we continue to look for impactful ways to uplift youth aging out of foster care and people with developmental disabilities. We see Vital Brookdale as one example of many more to come that demonstrates the mutual good that stems from providing opportunities for our neighbors to reach their full potential. It’s been a true joy to watch our residents’ confidence grow as a result of having the resources necessary to succeed on their paths to independence.”
Read the full press release here
The building features outdoor space, an on-site gym, game room, library, and more
Vital Brookdale – our new supportive housing complex – offers opportunity and promise for the people we serve.
Created in collaboration with New York State’s Vital Brooklyn Initiative, our new apartment complex in Brownsville, Brooklyn opened this summer – and is giving our neighbors the support to become thriving members of the community.
Units are fully equipped and furnished
Vital Brookdale serves two distinct groups that often experience steep obstacles to living on their own – young people aging out of foster care and adults with developmental disabilities. Without a support system that understands their unique needs, they often struggle to secure affordable housing, learn life skills, and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Vital Brookdale builds on our existing Supportive Housing and Developmental Disabilities residential programming to provide new, private apartments to participants that are ready to live independently – and the guidance to ensure that they can successfully transition into this next step in their lives.
Foundling support staff provide on-site guidance as residents transition to independent living
As a core partner on the project, The Foundling was intrinsically involved in Vital Brookdale’s construction, and ensured that the building was designed to best serve these groups. While the building also has units designated for the general community, many of the complex’s studio and 1-bedroom units are specifically allocated to people receiving holistic supports from The Foundling.
For many Vital Brookdale residents, this is the first time they’ve had a space to call their very own
Additionally, unique on-site amenities – such as a staffed Foundling office, community spaces and resources, and an upcoming day habilitation and employment services center for people with developmental disabilities – ensure that ongoing assistance is only a few steps away.
And this is just the beginning: The Foundling’s expansion and investment in Supportive Housing will continue, with two additional developments in progress. These additional buildings – slated to open in Harlem and the Bronx within the next five years – will further support the needs of our community.
Learn more about Vital Brookdale by watching our latest video – and hear from Foundling staff and participants in their own words:
And meet more of our residents through recent press coverage:
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News 12 Brooklyn: |
Vital Brookdale is still accepting residents!
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News 12 Brooklyn reported on Vital Brookdale, our new supportive housing complex serving those aging out of foster care and those with developmental disabilities.
In their video report, the news crew speaks to Foundling staff member Cathy Branche and resident Patricia Jackson – who speaks to the complex’s focus on accessibility and best serving the needs of its community.
The Council on Quality and Leadership published a feature interview on our recent accreditation from their agency, which provides additional perspective about our inclusive approach to transforming our services for people with developmental disabilities.
As Michael Clausen, CQL Director of Personal Outcomes, writes, “It was obvious that [The Foundling] didn’t just view it as ‘passing a test.’ It was so much more than that… The New York Foundling demonstrated that they were ‘in it’ for the right reasons, treating accreditation as a time to reflect, celebrate, and plan out their journey to strengthen the quality of their services and help improve the lives of people they support.”
ABC 7 recently covered the opening of our Vital Brookdale supportive housing complex, highlighting the project’s role in providing housing for people with developmental disabilities and young adults aging out of foster care – allowing them to live independently and thrive.
Watch the video below to see the units and hear from Anthony McQueen, a resident with developmental disabilities who is proud to have moved into his new home.
A variety of games were available
Our annual Friends and Family BBQ, hosted by our Developmental Disabilities Division, is a summer highlight for those living in our residences and attending our day and community habilitation programs. The people we support look forward to the opportunity to come together and connect with friends and family, while enjoying food, games, music, and more.
While the event was on hiatus due to the pandemic, it returned this year in full force! Last month, the event took place at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, NY. Around 1,110 attendees came out for a joy-filled day!
In addition to barbeque food, dishes such as chicken and mac and cheese were served
Attendees, their families, and Foundling staff members enjoyed a variety of food – burgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, chicken sandwiches, fish, cornbread, and more – and had the opportunity to dance to music provided by a DJ. Other activities included balloon making, face painting, corn hole, and flag football.
As a testament to the presence The Foundling has in the community, two Assembly Members were also in attendance – Amy Paulin and Thomas Abinanti – and had the opportunity to meet the people in our programs!
And amidst all the fun, it was also a bittersweet time for our Foundling staff.
Jill Gentile and Assemblymember Thomas Abinanti speak to Foundling staff
It was the last BBQ for Jill Gentile, Senior Vice President of our Developmental Disabilities Division, who will be retiring this fall. Her retirement was celebrated at the event, from custom t-shirts to a moving speech by our Board Chair Bob King honoring her leadership over the past 9 years.
At The Foundling, we are committed to ensuring that each person in our care is able to live their best lives. For those with developmental disabilities, this is what that looks like – providing a supportive space to connect with peers, maintain and bolster family relationships, participate in meaningful activities, and feel appreciated and valued. We look forward to an even bigger and better BBQ event next year!
View more photos from the event below:
Thank you to Grassy Sprain Pharmacy for sponsoring the 2022 Annual Friends and Family BBQ.
Last month, The Foundling achieved a three-year Quality Assurances Accreditation (QAA) from the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) – the culmination of a months-long process that included on-site assessments, interviews with staff, families, and participants, focus groups, and detailed analysis of our services for people with developmental disabilities. CQL accredits programs on several factors – including the ways in which participants are given dignity and respect, how families and other support networks are integrated into services, and how participants are best supported in achieving their personal goals.
The CQL accreditation measures a rigorous standard of care – of the more than 600 providers of developmental disabilities services in New York State, only 7% have achieved CQL accreditation and only 2% of the 208 New York City providers are CQL accredited. We are proud to join these ranks, and to have had the opportunity to share our strengths – including our person-centered approach and deeply held commitment to ensuring that each person we support can reach their full potential.
In preparation for our accreditation, our entire Developmental Disabilities Division came together, taking this opportunity to highlight our programs and identify great stories to share. We’re excited to showcase the journeys of some of these amazing Foundling participants, as they truly represent our values and commitment to helping those in our community work toward strength, stability, and independence.
As a transgender woman with developmental disabilities, Michel spent decades of her life struggling to access gender-affirming care. When she came to live in one of The Foundling’s supportive residences, she was given the support and resources to exercise her rights to transition and live as her true self. With the help of The Foundling’s Nutrition Team – which focuses on the health of our residents – David learned to manage his medication, eat nutritious meals, and take his health into his own hands. With these new skills, he has become more physically fit and independent. Chshone, a resident in one of our supportive homes, has learned to exercise his voice through advocacy. With the support of Foundling staff, he is an avid speaker at conferences held by Self Advocacy Association of New York (SANY), a network founded and led by people with developmental disabilities. |
Thanks to this assessment, we’re positioned to improve our services and programs even further. We look forward to continuing this journey – and to serving the community.
Want to learn more? Read more success stories from our Developmental Disabilities programs:
- The Visability Project: Celebrating the Creativity of our Participants with Developmental Disabilities
- Closing the Employment Gap for People with Developmental Disabilities
- Nancy finds Independence, Purpose, and Fulfillment at The Foundling
Interested in enrolling or referring a participant to our Residential, Day Habilitation, Community Habilitation, or Employment Services programs?
Speak to our Developmental Disabilities Information and Referral Team at (212) 886-4020 or email I&R@NYFoundling.org.
Skye Ostreicher speaks to our CEO & President, Melanie Hartzog. They disucss how she parlays her government experience into the nonprofit sector to help provide social services in New York City, the upcoming opening of our Vital Brookdale supportive housing, and more.
Read more on City & State, or watch the video below:
In Fall 2021, our Day Habilitation participants were invited to join in a VisABILITY art workshop series to help develop their creative talents. Workshops were led by The Foundling’s creative facilitators, with each one introducing our participants to a different artistic medium – from photography to poetry.
In the course of these workshops, many of our participants found that art provided a novel way to truly share their voices and experiences with the world. “We have a lot of individuals that really have a hard time expressing their feelings and emotions…but if you look at their artwork, it speaks a thousand words,” says Lamont Issacs, Assistant Vice President of our Day Habilitation program.
The VisABILITY project culminated in an art exhibition to showcase these bold and powerful works – and on March 23, The Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities team hosted a celebration of the exhibition at Vinny’s Café (a community space within Vincent’s Village, a supportive complex for seniors managed by the Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation.)
Jill Gentile, who leads our Developmental Disabilities Division, provided opening remarks on March 23.
This special event allowed Foundling staff and Trustees, Sisters of Charity, program participants, and friends and family to enjoy refreshments, admire the artwork, contribute to a group installation, and learn more about the VisABILITY project. For many of our Developmental Disabilities participants, this was the first time they had attended a gallery event, and it was a wonderful experience where their abilities, viewpoints, and talent were acknowledged and celebrated.
Artists had the opportunity to share and discuss their work.
“With the art showcase, we’re really giving an opportunity for the community to think more about what a society that’s more inclusive of the experiences and abilities around us might look like,” shares Carly Johnson, one of The Foundling’s Clinical Coordinators and a VisABILITY Workshop Facilitator.
And our VisABILITY project is not over – our art gallery continues to garner interest from the community and local officials.
Our participants’ artwork, photos, paintings, collages, textile arts, and more – was beautifully displayed throughout the café.
Additionally, The Foundling has also launched a corresponding digital exhibition featuring a virtual tour, art to view, and even the opportunity to purchase original works (with proceeds benefiting the artist and funding additional VisABILITY workshops). View the exhibition here.
Interested in learning more about the VisABILITY Project? Hear our participants and staff speak about their experiences in the video below: