Cogswell Hall
a place to call home
facebook.com/
cogswellhall
@cogswellhall
spring 2015
newsletter
linkedin.com/company/
cogswell-hall-inc
Many of us can recall our first experience with
meet pam
reading music when we learned how to play the recorder in elementary
school. For some of us it never quite stuck, but for Pam, it would be true
love. An honors student, swimmer and flute-playing self-proclaimed band
geek, Pam was very active in high school. Despite her interest in social
work, Pam was encouraged to attended college for pre-law, and in the 70s
enrolled at one of the most infamous party schools in the United States,
Ohio University. As it so often does, life took Pam in a different direction
before finishing her degree. Upon returning home, the streets of Cleveland
see pam pg 2
letter from our executive director
As I enter through the doors of Cogswell Hall, I hear
music, singing and clapping. Before I even recognize the song,
I’m smiling. For just a moment, I’m removed from the day’s
demands. That’s what music does for all of us. Music helps us
get in touch with emotions we have no other way of expressing.
Whether I’m driving in my car, or taking my morning
walk, music brings peace and joy.
Much of this newsletter has stories of music and
the arts. It is about healing, of finding healthy ways
to express what we cannot with words. Individuals
come to Cogswell Hall struggling each day with
feelings of loss, despair, and hopelessness. Some have suffered
years of chaos and trauma. Music and the arts are a way to
overcome the bad and bring forth the positive.
We would like to thank all the music therapy interns from
Baldwin Wallace University who have brought their skills
and talents to share with our residents. We would
like to thank Caley, a Guerilla Haiku Mistress for
opening up the minds and hearts of our residents
through haiku. We would like to thank the Sherwin
Williams volunteers who found it in their hearts to
provide a karaoke machine for the residents.
see letter pg 2
cogswellhall.org
in-house
events
pam cont’d from pg 1
were unkind to her, so she tagged along with a friend who was traveling in pursuit of his career
as a blues harmonica player. All the while, Pam yearned to realize her potential as a musician and
eventually returned to Cleveland. Following her heart’s dream, Pam received a message she could
only now recognize as life changing from a soul on the street urging her to attend the Berklee College
of Music. Hitch-hiking her way to Boston, Pam began studying jazz music and learning the saxophone.
live music in our own living room
It was 2010 when Pam moved to Cogswell Hall. After several years healing in the safety of
permanent, supportive housing, Pam recently revealed that she hadn’t played sax much since 2009.
Pam began first opening up through music when she started tickling the ivories on our Spinet piano.
She then began wearing her saxophone pin and inquired about the long awaited third piece to complete
her woodwind collection of flute, sax and clarinet. A new volunteer brought in a clarinet the next week
and moved Pam to tears. When she saw that it was a Selmer, the same make as her saxophone, she was
overcome with emotion. Her excitement has been contagious and her goal is to play for others within
the next year.
Music continued to find its way into
Hitch-hiking her way to Boston, Pam began
studying jazz music and learning the saxophone.
brok EN glish
letter cont’d from pg 1
We would like to thank BrokENglish for
making Cogswell Hall the premiere performance.
We would like to thank Patrick and Sherrie for
bringing us together singing Christmas carols.
But most of all we want to thank all of you who
have supported us during our next 100 year
campaign. We met our goal and received the
promised match. What does this have to do
with music? Everything, it means we are well
positioned - for the next 100 years. It means
housing security for our residents. It means more
programs and services to help our residents heal
from trauma and improve their lives.
We would not be able to provide a stable
home and a supportive community in which
people heal through music and the arts if we did
not have the funds to keep the lights on and pay
the staff. So, thank you, thank you very much.
We look forward to our continued partnership
through 2015. Please join us at our upcoming
events and enjoy the music.
our hearts at Cogswell Hall last year. Arranged by volunteer Shelly Perry,
local band BrokENglish entertained our residents one Saturday afternoon.
The residents were up dancing and clapping for over 2 hours, just as if
they were at one of their favorite Edgewater Live performances. Dolin’ar
Spahija, lead vocalist reflects, “We loved our first show at Cogswell Hall!
It was their pure, sincere appreciation that gave us a whole new sense of
gratification as musicians.“
Seeing Florine up dancing and clapping was a huge gift to us all and
showed just how powerful music can be in pulling people out of their
shell. BrokENglish concerts are going be an ongoing event for residents
and may even be opened up to the public in the future.
holiday party singing
U
Without U
there is no us,
Sharon Halm
Doris Honsa
Stephanie & George Hrbek
Carole & John Kealy
Maureen T Luehrs-Kenney
Kevin & Dorothy McCarthy
Gregory & Elaine Mersol
Nancy Miller
Susan B Murphy
Frank Opaskar & Gail Soinski
John Pallas
Tami Pentek
Robert Potts
2
cogswellhall.org
Donna Read
Ron & Debbie Allen
Louise P. S&ercock
Jim & Anne Schoff
Joie & Michael Scott
Pat Smrdel
John & Claire Spooner
John & Joy Sweeney
Third Federal Savings & Loan
Christopher Vilevac
Richard & Ann Woollett
Assure compliance with
all food service and other
licensing, inventory and
order supplies, plan and
post work schedules and
menus for each week,
prepare, serve and clean
up meals
Background:
Mike owes his culinary
talents in large part to
his mother and father.
He most recently worked
for three years as a chef
at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in
Lakewood and says his
favorite thing to prepare
for residents is fish and
other seafood.
Property Manager
even read the classic Night
Mary Crossan Ashdown
Phyllis Bambeck
Anonymous
Anne Burr
Francis & Barbara A. Cogswell
William Culbertson
Diana Cyganovich & David Heil
Timothy T Doyle
Kevin & Anna Durst
Marianne Ernst & Robert Gates
Paul & Cathy Flament
Ruth Ann Gillett
Barbara T. Hajes
Responsibilities:
Stacey Hill
whole group in song and
Thank you to 100 Year fund supporters:
Kitchen Coordinator
Mike was once a
contestant on Bowling for
Dollars!
Sherrie Sugrue led the
Diana Cyganovich
Executive Director
Mike Lewis
Fun Fact:
Volunteers Patrick and
Sincerely,
new staff
Responsibilities:
Before Christmas to make
the evening complete.
Another event where music brings
people together is our annual holiday party. This is a very meaningful
tradition and important way of sharing love and gratitude as many
families do at that time of year. Residents, board members and volunteers
celebrated the end of our 100th year in our Detroit Shoreway home by
enjoying a lovely dinner, a gift exchange and carol singing! Volunteers
Patrick and Sherrie Sugrue led the whole group in song and even read
the classic Night Before Christmas to make the evening complete.
We have seen many benefits come of our excellent relationship with
Baldwin Wallace University. Interns from their Music Therapy program
work with residents on song writing, reading music, singing and playing
instruments. Some are learning piano, working collaboratively to sing
and use small percussive instruments and learning to play guitar. One
resident, Christine, had such a great experience learning guitar with her
teacher, Natalie, that her brother-in-law sent her a six string acoustic!
While she admits to still being very much a learner, she loves having this
new challenge right at her finger tips!
cogswellhall.org
3
Ohio housing law
compliance, marketing
and leasing, meeting all
the requirements of the
Low Income Housing
Tax Credit Program,
resident relations, room
inspections.
Background:
Certified occupancy/
tax credit specialist with
20 years of experience
with affordable housing
management.
Fun Fact:
When we asked Stacey
to list a fun fact she
sweetly smiled and said
“My Husband”! The two
met four years ago and
were married within six
months. “Happily in love
every day since!”
on the stree t
events
Taking the lead
Resident-led
activities are
wonderful
collaborations
that display
initiative and
creativity among
our residents.
The strongest program
is our Cat Patrol, which is a
self-led team of residents who
collaboratively care for several
neighborhood cats.
Recently, Tyrone and
Christine created a Prayer Box
for anyone who has prayers to
submit in order to be prayed on
as a group.
At Christmas time, Janna
brought together several
residents to go out and sing
carols door to door on Franklin
Boulevard. She gathered and
copied music, coordinated
attendance and even managed
to collect a few donations while
out singing songs! Once they
returned, the group carried on
throughout our three floors to
make sure that our halls felt
the same holiday joy as our
neighbors outside. This was a
great tradition for Janna as a
child and the fact that she felt
compelled to bring it to her home
here at Cogswell is a testament
to the uniquely compassionate
environment that is just as much
due to the people who live here
as it is the people who work here.
Guerilla Haiku Day
One of our favorite impromptu visits last
summer was from Caley Vickerman, founder of
Guerilla Haiku Movement. The ancient Japanese
poetic tradition of Haiku poems are made up
of three lines consisting of five syllables, seven
syllables and five syllables. Our community
room was packed with residents and this
collaborative process was a beautiful form of
therapy that we hope to continue each year.
We even took the fun outdoors and wrote
poems in chalk all over our winding sidewalks.
Anyone who attended pARTy in Gordon Square
should have seen Cogswell Hall resident haiku
from floor to ceiling as soon as they walked in to
Parish Hall. We were very proud to be a featured
part of the celebration, as were our residents to
see their art on display for their community.
volunteer highlight on jen
Jen came to us by way of former
Cogswell Hall board member,
Ethel Horvath,
Jen came to us by way of
former Cogswell Hall board
member, Ethel Horvath, with a
wide open mind and lifetime of
travel as a volunteer. “This is the
most fun I have had volunteering
anywhere”, exclaims Jen.
Daughter of a veterinarian, she
typically volunteered at animal
shelters in addition to working
as a Property Manager. Jen
obtained her degree in English
and Speech from Bowling Green
and last worked as Assistant
to the Dean of the School of
Health Professions in Omaha,
Nebraska. After just a few short
months with us, Jen now runs
CogsMart, our in-house store,
twice a week and drives residents
on bank and shopping trips. Her
dedication ensures our residents
4
cogswellhall.org
experience these trips out that we
all sometimes take for granted.
According to Jen, “The residents
are so grateful, always welcoming
me with thank you after thank
you. Man, does that feel good!
Now if only I could manage to
remember all of their names”!
Since one more never hurt,
THANK YOU, JEN! We love you
and appreciate all you do!
5
cogswellhall.org
Cogswell Hall, Inc.
7200 Franklin Blvd.
Cleveland, OH 44102
2015 Cogswell Hall Board of Directors
Abigail Staudt, President
Kimberly Smith, Vice President
Irene Patton, Secretary
Katie Zielaskiewicz, Treasurer
Gail Bisesi
Robert Bonhard
Candi Clouse
Marilyn Coleman
Lynette Collier
William Culbertson
David Koval
Sarah Malue
Jacquie Nowlin
Jack Reulbach
Elise Sheehan
get involved
Within the past year we have initiated several new groups that open
our doors and share our story with the community.
Friends of Cogswell Hall
Talks in the Hall is a speakers series sponsored and organized by
Friends of Cogswell Hall, a group for former board members and
long-time volunteers to promote the mission of Cogswell Hall.
e.a.c.h.
Emerging Ambassadors of Cogswell Hall
An inclusive group for young community members who want to be a
part of the fight for affordable housing in our city and feel compelled
to take action in an impactful, social environment.
Our first Talks in the Hall was a huge success thanks to our speaker
Judge Ray Pianka who presented on the History of the Detroit Shoreway.