N EWSL ETTER A Publication for Friends of Little Flower Children and Family Services of NY Spring 2013 Alumni Spotlight “My past drives me and my wife and kids motivate me-a great combination for success!” Felix Osorio has jumped through many hurdles in life, literally and figuratively, to reach the level of success he has today. Like many children placed in foster care, Felix’s family was unable to care for him at a young age and he entered Little Flower at eight years old. He remembers clearly the night he arrived. Before that life changing moment, Felix lived with his mother and siblings in New York City (his father left when he was a toddler). On their last night together, Felix and his siblings were taken to a neighbor’s house. After Felix’s mother said her goodbyes, Felix followed her to the door, where she asked him to take care of his brothers and sister until she returned. However, Felix felt apprehensive and asked his mother if she was coming back. She reassured him that she will return and asked again for him to look after his siblings. That was the last time Felix saw his mother for seven years. Two weeks later Felix was introduced to Columbo. Together they walked out of the apartment, got on a train and several hours later reached their destination in Wading River – Little Flower. After bouncing around for eight years and spending time in a group home, Felix was placed in his last and best foster home. Over the years Felix competed in Track-n-Field and as a young freshman in high school he won the Gold medal in the long jump at the Junior Olympics in Garden City, NY! During that year he met another student, Timothy Vuolo, who also competed in the long jump. Timmy followed him everywhere during practices and imitated everything he did; a bond and trust started to build between the two athletes. One day at school, Felix was called to see his guidance counselor and was asked about his relationship with Timothy. Felix thought Timothy was a nice kid and enjoyed assisting him with his long jump during practice. He was then informed that the Vuolos wanted to be his new family. Timothy told his parents he wanted a brother and he wanted Felix as his brother. Felix became part of the Vuolo family for the remainder of high school. Felix graduated from Port Jefferson High School and was awarded a football/track scholarship to Huron College in Huron, South Dakota. After college, Felix moved to Connecticut where he met his wife of 30 years, Sally Osorio, who worked as a teller in Stratford, Connecticut. They have two children, Samantha, 26 years old and Jonathan, 28 years old. Currently, Felix works with a leading BioTech instrumentation company. He enjoys staying active and participates in a range of recreational activities, including competitive Street Handball and has won some doubles tournaments. Felix plays Conga Drums professionally and performed with his colleague, Master William Bronson (saxophone) at the RibbonCutting Ceremony for the new Bascom Public Library in San Jose, California on February 23rd, attended by the San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and other dignitaries. You can view the video on Little Flower’s website at www.littleflowerny.com. Felix has great ambition and drive, leading him to continue to work and create FOSO Media, LLC, a marketing/entertainment company, based in San Jose, California. Felix recently renewed his relationship with Little Flower as a founding member of the Alumni Council. He hopes that through the council he will be able to provide inspiration to at least one child, person or individual and show that despite a difficult childhood and obstacles, you can succeed and live your dreams. HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS Message from the Executive Director - Grace Lo Grande, LMSW-MPA Thank You! This holiday season was an incredible success thanks to the generosity and support of so many. Whether you donated toys, electronics, clothing or auction items for the holiday party, your generosity did not go unnoticed. Dear Friends, Spring – a time to celebrate life. As I left my house this morning I noticed all the lovely flowers sprouting up all around me. It made me smile. That’s the same feeling I get when I read the stories in this current issue of our newsletter. This issue focuses on the “who” – not the legendary rock group – but the individuals who make Little Flower what it is. Whether you are a board member, staff person, foster child in care, or alumni; a care taker, long time donor or a child just learning what it means to give, this issue is about you! Spring is an exciting time at Little Flower, with our Msgr. John T. Fagan Awards Dinner in May, proms, graduations and moving up ceremonies throughout the month of June, planning an open house for July 16th in Wading River and a host of other activities that celebrate our history, mission and passion. Our print newsletter comes out twice a year, but if you wish to keep current please visit our website and sign up for our monthly enewsletter and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. We look forward to keeping in touch. Grace G. Lo Grande Executive Director Welcome to the Little Flower Family Little Flower is honored to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors. Robert B. Campbell, Director Rev. Peter J Garry, Director Frank R. Seddio, Director Hats Off to our Medical and Mental Health Departments On January 25, 2013, Little Flower was recognized by New York City Administration for Children Services and Dr. Angel Mendoza, MD, assistant commissioner of Child and Family Services for Children’s Services for outstanding performance in providing medical and mental health services for children in foster care. Congratulations to Grace Calderone, assistant executive director for Medical and Mental Health Services, Cynthia Dyer-Boucher, Nkechi Osuji and all of the physicians, clinicians and staff of the Medical and Mental Health Departments on a job well done. Thank you for your diligence and hard work. All of us at Little Flower are very proud! Unfortunately, space does not allow us to list all of our contributors here, but your donations and consideration mean the world to us. For a full list of donors, please visit our website at: www.littleflowerny.org. Thank you all for making the holiday a little brighter for those we serve! OUR KIDS THANK THEIR HOLIDAY ANGELS Little Flower would like to extend our most gracious thanks to the Colomb Family of Miramar Beach, Florida. Lisa and David Colomb were Holiday angels to three families this past season. The couple planned to spend Thanksgiving weekend in New York City with their family. Prior to their trip, Lisa made arrangements for the family to attend two shows, The Lion King and The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular and a football game, the New York Jets vs. the New England Patriots. The Colombs, having experienced their fair share of hurricanes, knew the work and time needed to recover. Thus, after Hurricane Sandy, Lisa and her family decided to postpone the trip to NYC. Lisa was now left with these fabulous tickets. She ran through her options of what to do and came to the conclusion that because her family has been so blessed, they would love to share their blessings with another family. Lisa contacted Little Flower and donated these extraordinary packages to three families. She hoped that it would be a fun and an exciting experience for those attending. As evident by the thank you letters and cards sent to the Colomb Family, it was one of the most special and remarkable gifts they could have shared with others, making it a night these families won’t forget. Recent Events at Little Flower Long Island Harley Owners Group (LI HOG) Toy Run Sunday, December 2nd, for the 27th year, hundreds of the LI HOGs drove in formation to the Little Flower Wading River Campus. Led by Santa, the riders came to deliver toys and clothes to kick off the holiday season. We want to thank the men and women of the LI HOGs for braving the cold to not only deliver toys and gifts but also happiness and holiday cheer to our kids and residents. Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Holiday Party Thanks to the Young Professionals Group for hosting a wonderful night in support of Little Flower. Special thanks to Henry Buhl for letting us spend the evening in his home and the Holiday Chairs Christopher Barnet, Moira Dorst and Kathleen Rafferty Hay for putting together a spectacular event. DONOR SPOTLIGHT From Our Kids Having Anger Towards Anyone Reaching Success At the core of Little Flower’s success and our ability to continue towards our mission of helping children, families and developmentally disabled adults in need, are our dedicated and loyal donors. By: Martel of the Music Therapy Program Was sleeping, woke up still living the dream Thought it played out well Because I had the deck up my sleeve Then it hit me Like I was target practice The ones who were supposed to support me Were holding me back Mr. Wayne P. Hall of Williamstown, New Jersey has been a constant and dedicated supporter of Little Flower for over 20 years as a member of our monthly giving club, The Adoption Club. Mr. Hall’s generosity stems from his faith: “My Christian teaching tells me to be silent in my philanthropy, but if it might inspire others to pour out their love to Little Flower, I will briefly tell my story.” Mr. Hall was born and raised on the coast of Maine by Baptist grandparents. He served in the US Army three years and shortly thereafter moved to Atlantic City. By 1976, he moved to and started working in the Long Island—NYC area. In 1985, he settled in the town of Rocky Point and was invited to a Knights of Columbus function where he met Father John Fagan and learned briefly who he was and what he did. It wasn’t until he met two other staff members of the organization that he decided to support Little Flower. At the meeting, he met two women who were home mothers for the children at Little Flower. He was so impressed with the work they did for, and with, the children, and the love that they shared with them. It was this meeting, the stories, and the caring spirit of the two ladies that led Mr. Hall to believe that Little Flower “is a worthy cause and a much needed service to children.” He attended a golf tournament benefiting Little Flower but with a busy work schedule and family life, he made a mental commitment to support Little Flower in other ways, which he has done since: “Giving is in my DNA and Christian beliefs; I desire to support those who have needs.” When asked what he would tell others considering giving to Little Flower, he responded by saying, “if someone needs a reason for a vision to support Little Flower, they should stop for a moment and think of a child without a home…if they are not moved by that, they need to do some real soul searching.” Mr. Hall still attends the Assembly of God Church his mother helped establish and feels he has been very blessed in life working in banking and the automotive industry and is currently the General Manager at Garden State Honda Clifton in Passaic, New Jersey. Nearing retirement, he has one regret; that he has not been able to support his tithes and charities at his past levels. I remember when they told me I can’t That I’ll never make it from the ground up That it’s only a dream that I need to wake up But my mind was set And a strong person would never give up Hope I don’t shoot hoops I learned how to pass the negative And pick myself up like a rebound Now I’m past the critics They told me it’s not realistic I told them it’s not supposed to be It’s a dream I told myself if I don’t believe in myself I’m just like them I wasn’t going to stand in my own way Because I let my haters be my motivators And I love for them But in my head I believe I made it And I couldn’t do it without the support I also say thank you You cared so much You pushed me to be my best We at Little Flower would like to thank Mr. Hall for his generous spirit and for continuously supporting us in our endeavors. We hope his big heartedness and generosity inspires others to show the same care and passion he has. LGBTQ Teen Group LGBTQ youth are over-represented in the child welfare system. For some LGBTQ teens in care, their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression is the reason they may be living out of the home. LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of suicide, dropping out of school due to harassment resulting from their sexual orientation, isolation, violence, homelessness, HIV/Aids, hearing homophobic remarks from school staff, peers, and child welfare workers, health issues, and depression. Little Flower recognized the need for a group focused on supporting our LGBTQ Teens, which led to the creation of the LGBTQ Teen Group, facilitated by Dr. Melinda Konigsberg. The group provides a designated special place that appreciates and accepts LGBTQ individuals, where they feel supported and are comfortable to share teen issues as well as give each other support and feedback. Participants also learn of other opportunities and resources, prepare to transition out of care, and advocate for themselves. Little Flower was able to partner with the Nutrition Education program at Columbia University to address reoccurring themes around body image, nutrition, diet and exercise. The LGBTQ group and the graduate students enjoyed the nutrition workshops so much that Monica Guzman volunteered to host healthy cooking demos with food tasting weekly through June. The teens reported eating more fruits and vegetables and shared stories of cooking the recipes they learned in the workshops, in their foster homes. The mastery of a skill and taking care of their bodies help increase self-respect and self-esteem as the mind and body are connected. Kids Helping Kids The Gift of Giving Five year old Ella Katz is a vivacious and busy young lady in Pre-K, who excels in dance class and gymnastics. She may not understand the in’s and out’s of today’s high tech fundraising techniques, but she is already well on her way to becoming a socially responsible citizen. Thanks to the example set by her mom, Gloria, who works for a company with a strong philanthropic culture, Ella was able to collect and donate warm sleepwear and nurturing books to the children of Little Flower. She did this by celebrating her birthday in a different way. Yes, there were decorations and cake and music, but surprisingly, no gifts for Ella. She instructed her friends to come to the party laden with donations of pajamas and books which they placed in a big bag that Ella and her mom had decorated with posters downloaded from a website called thepajamaprogram.org. Thanks to Ella, children in need will go to bed each night now in warm, clean p.j.’s with a bedtime book to lessen their fears as they close their eyes to sleep. Looks like Ella got the best gift of all – the gift of giving! LexxiLoves.org Lexxi Saal developed a kind and generous spirit from a very young age. After hearing stories of her mother’s experience in foster care, Lexxi decided she wanted to help others and created Lexxiloves.org. Lexxi and her family have volunteered for Little Flower over the years, which helped her in deciding what organization to dedicate her time to. Lexxi knew that she wanted to help children in foster care and give them something unique and special. She thought about it and realized that children in foster care usually receive toys and clothing, which she has donated in the past, but how many receive flowers? Her vision then blossomed. The realization of how happy and surprised the children would be when they received a bouquet, and to know that there is someone out there thinking of them and cares enough to send their love and wishes, was enough to make the dream a reality. LexxiLoves.org teamed up with 1-800-Flowers and their partner florists for Imagine the Smiles, an initiative designed to recognize, honor and celebrate members of our local communities and across the nation who deserve a smile. 1-800-Flowers and their partners are committed to supporting everyday heroes throughout our communities, such as Lexxi. 1-800-flowers is proud to help deliver smiles for LexxiLoves.org by sending flowers monthly to children in foster care. Imagine the Smile a child gets when they receive an adorable bouquet made with love from LexxiLoves.org and 1-800-flowers. Lexxi founded LexxiLoves.org when she was eight years old and her organization continues to grow and support children being cared for by Little Flower, through various fundraising efforts as well as by enlisting the support from brands looking to make a difference, all with the hope that every child in foster care feels loved. FROM THE FIELD Founder’s Day Going Above and Beyond for the Children in our Care It’s that time of year-Founder’s Day!! Little Flower recently celebrated this historic day in our Brooklyn, Queens and Wading River locations, commemorating everyone’s contribution to the agency. In January, Ms. Olympia Bristol and Ms. Rose Laure Alexis, case workers at Little Flower, went the extra mile to help a child in our foster care program. Upon learning that her great-grandmother, who cared for her as a young child, recently passed away, the young lady wanted to attend the funeral. Employees who reached their 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th anniversaries were acknowledged and honored. Congratulations to those who reached these remarkable milestones and thanks to all staff for all you do to help fulfill our mission of turning caring into action to improve the lives of those in our care! Ms. Bristol understood the need for the child to pay her respects and worked on making a trip to Haiti a reality. Due to complications in securing original documents for international travel, Ms. Bristol began to come up against enormous obstacles. The Haitian Consulate in NYC was not able to help, leading her to take an impromptu road trip to Washington D.C to seek assistance from the Haitian Embassy. Despite arriving at closing time, the employees recognized the urgency and were sympathetic to her cause, helping the best they could. After acquiring a temporary passport, Ms. Alexis then accompanied the child abroad to attend the funeral, visit the places she grew up and see her mother and new siblings. What seemed like smooth sailing at first, hit a roadblock. When trying to leave Haiti, the authorities did not allow Ms. Alexis and the child to leave the country until they had the child’s original documents. Ms. Alexis and Ms. Bristol communicated every day, working around the clock to obtain sufficient documents for the Haitian authorities. Ms. Alexis and the young lady went to the embassy every day for two weeks until the travel documents were accepted by the Haitian authorities and the youngster and Ms. Alexis happily returned to New York. Ms. Alexis and Ms. Bristol have demonstrated dedication and commitment beyond expectation to the well-being and happiness of the children in our care. On behalf of everyone at Little Flower, thank you ladies for a remarkable job in ensuring the happiness and safety of all the children you serve. Thank You to a Caring and Giving Individual Ms. Cruz has been a dedicated and loving caregiver with Little Flower for over 20 years, first as a foster mother and then as a caregiver for a developmentally disabled adult. She realized that after 14 years, she can no longer physically meet the needs as a caregiver and is retiring. Ms. Cruz became a foster mother in 1992 and cared for many children, sometimes four at a time. After 10 years, she realized she wanted and needed to help people with disabilities, believing they needed more attention. In 1999, Lawrence, a teenager with developmental disabilities came to live with Ms. Cruz and has been with her ever since. When Lawrence first arrived, it was a difficult adjustment for them both-Lawrence getting use to a new home and family and Ms. Cruz taking on a new role and new responsibilities. Because of Lawrence’s disabilities, there were things that were challenging for him to do on his own. Ms. Cruz trained Lawrence on basic daily activities such as taking a shower, which he is now capable of doing on his own. Over time, Lawrence developed his own sense of responsibility and independence. When they go out, Lawrence offers to pay and helps Ms. Cruz with the shopping. He enjoys traveling and has been to Disney World and is planning on another trip. One of his favorite places to go is the casino, where he likes to play the slot machines. He also enjoys going to the park and sitting with Ms. Cruz, as they take in the sights and people watch! 5th Anniversary Brooklyn Sahntanyna Blackwell Shavonne S. Ceruti Pamela B. Clarke Cynthia A. Dyer-Boucher Zoraida M. Gonzalez Mamie Greene Kristen Marzo Maritza Mejia Sherly Nicolas J. Michael Prendergast Sara Sadin Mattie Simms Jeanneth A. Villafane Wading River Michelle A. Amato Sherry C. Baylous Melanie M. Besold Jessica A. Castillo Sharon A. Condon Gloria A. Durham Judith S. Feller Cristina R. Gawreluk Loretta S. Klein Jennifer L. Kosloski Kathleen Levesque Camille Lucarini Serena E. Mc Gee Wading River Frank J. Perso Rosana Quinones Heather E. Robinson Alison F. Schroeder Suzanne Sturek Donna Turner Latrice N. Turpin Xiao Xiang Zhang Union Free School District Omar Corridon Roger Foster Jonathan Marrero Brenda Mc Millan Steven Murphy Janet Slote Marlon Thompson 10th Anniversary Brooklyn Davison Alleyne Crismay Peters Wading River Clara Jean Dlag Union Free School District Marie Myler 15th Anniversary Brooklyn Olympia Bristol Tonia Holmes-Roper Jennifer Pappo Cynthia Richardson Queens Sylvester Minor Jr. Wading River Christina V. Conigliari Christopher Samuels Union Free School District George Crigg 20th Anniversary In the past few months, due to health complications Ms. Cruz has struggled to keep up with her usual activities with Lawrence. Simple things like going to the park and sitting has become physically painful. Ms. Cruz cares very much for Lawrence, “he is a beautiful person and is very special.” He never complained and always wants to help when he can. She is extremely proud of Lawrence, his development and has come to see him as her own son. Brooklyn Lucy Johnston She has come to the grim realization that she can no longer care for Lawrence and has decided to close her home and move Lawrence to another home. She worries about this drastic change and what it might mean for Lawrence, but knows this is the best thing for him. Brooklyn Anjanie Ragubir Ms. Cruz was recently honored at a small reception for her service, dedication and love for all the children she cared for and for being a resilient and compassionate guardian for Lawrence. We know that the next step will be hard, and Little Flower will be there to support the both of them through it. Queens Crystal Beedles Cynthia Bien-Aime Tasheena N. Hall Arowofela Teresa Jose Clement Ojomo Nonyem Onuoha Jennifer S. Polissaint Efigenia Robles Denise D. Rogers Judy A. Sherman-Greene Juliet D. Sutton-Campbell Hyacinth E. Tyson Yvette Waiters Wading River Virginia A. Cummings Mitchell Stromski 25th Anniversary Wading River Dwayne Holoman Joseph Nolan 30th Anniversary Brooklyn Janet Greaves Wading River Gerald Trent Mary Young Union Free School District Christine Evola 35th Anniversary Wading River Claude Celcis NoN-Profit org. US PoStage Paid fLUSHiNg, NY PerMit No. 1045 2450 N. Wading River Road Wading River, NY 11792-1402 Save the Dates Wednesday, May 8, 2013 • Msgr. John T. Fagan Awards Dinner Guastavino’s, 409 East 59th Street, NYC Get your tickets now at littleflowerny.org/events! Tuesday, July 16, 2013, Little Flower Open House Open House, Wading River Campus, 2450 North Wading River Road, Wading River Sunday, August 18, 2013 • Long Island Ducks Game, Bethpage Ballpark B2H, Brooklyn and Queens Foster Children Only Want to sponsor a child and their family? Contact Maureen Fox at: 718-875-3500 ext. 5040 or [email protected]. Monday, September 9, 2013 • Annual Golf Classic Engineer’s Country Club, Roslyn Harbor, Long Island Help Little Flower Help Others If you would like to make a donation to Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York Please make checks payable to: Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York . Kindly mail to: Little Flower, Development Office, 2450 N. Wading River Road, Wading River, NY 11792-1402 Donations can also be made online at www.littleflowerny.org and click on “donate now” button