Gaudenzia NOV NL 19a

GAUDENZIAGazette
Pennsylvania
❙
Delaware
❙
Maryland
Gaudenzia, Inc. ❙ Since 1968
January 2008
www.gaudenzia.org
Volume 22, Issue 1
A Place to Call Home
O
n September 14, Gaudenzia celebrated the opening of Gaudenzia Concord Place, a
sixteen unit housing facility in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The dedication ceremony
included testimonials from residents and guest speakers including Chair of the Chester
County Board of Commissioners Carol Aichele and U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development Deputy Regional Director Brenda M. Laroche.
Recent studies indicate that approximately 75% of homeless individuals nationwide suffer
from drug and alcohol addiction. Gaudenzia Concord Place provides a safe supportive
environment for homeless people in Chester County, so they may return to society as productive individuals following proper treatment for their addictions.
Pennsylvania State
Representative Barbara
McIlvaine Smith
(left to right) John Foff,
FHLBank Pittsburgh;
Dale Martin, Sovereign
Bank; Concord Place
Resident Robert N;
Concord Place Resident
Daniel B; Gaudenzia
President and Executive
Director Michael Harle;
Chester County Board of
Commissioners Chair Carol
Aichele; U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban
Development Deputy
Regional Director Brenda
M. Laroche; Division
Director George Davis,
Eastern Region Director
Michael Link; Gaudenzia
Inc. Board of Directors
Chairman Bob Kelly.
Chester County Department of
Community Development
Director Patrick Bokovitz
O
n September 14, in the presence of U.S. Senator Bob
Casey, a $425,000 check was awarded to Gaudenzia
Fountain Springs by FHLBank Pittsburgh. The funds support
the creation of transitional supportive housing consisting of six
family apartment units where the homeless head of households,
who have graduated from treatment can move on to more
semi-independent living.
Gaudenzia Fountain Springs is a long-term treatment program
for women with children in Schuylkill County and remains the
only place in the County offering such care today.
(Top row) North-Central Community Affairs Council Chair David Bowen, U.S. Senator
Robert P. Casey, Board Member Linwood Fielder
(Bottom row) Women’s and Children’s Division Director Mary Bair, Fund Development
Manager Carole Lee, Drug and Alcohol Service Providers of PA President Deb Beck and
Board Member Sheila Ross
Community
Autumn Blues BBQ
O
n September 29, at City Island, in Harrisburg, the sizzling Gaudenzia Autumn Blues BBQ friend raiser was
held to engage the community in celebration of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
Approximately 300 participants and 48 volunteers enjoyed Blues from entertaining bands, The Nighthawks and
Nate Meyers and the Aces. Gaudenzia is very appreciative of event sponsors Century 21 Piscioneri, Novick
Brothers, Smooth Jazz 92.7FM, WHP CBS21, the Event Committee members, staff member Frank Mussoline
and the Phoenix Motorcycle Club for grilling up a delicious BBQ!
Scholars in Service to PA AmeriCorps volunteers
were enjoying Nate Meyers on the harmonica
when they smiled for this photo in the Fun Zone!
Dan Piscioneri and his family share information with
participants about his sponsorship gift given in memory
of his mother Lenore Piscioneri, an avid volunteer and
supporter of treatment until her death in 1997.
PA House of
Representatives, Health
and Human Services
Committee Executive
Director Melanie Brown
Board member Sheila Ross asks a very
young Fun Zone participant and raffle
winner to select the next ticket.
Mistress of Ceremonies CBS 21 News Anchor
Myranda Stephens congratulates a raffle
prize winner.
Volunteers
Amy Palmer
and Julia
Downing
Sasha, daughter of Highmark Blue Shield sponsor representative Eugenia Zharichenkl, poses for a charicature drawn by volunteer and artist Brad Gebhart.
A Garden of Hope in Owings Mills
T
his past summer, in the midst of an arid field of brown grass, a garden
of hope blossomed for the men and women of Gaudenzia Owings
Mills, a long term residential treatment program in Maryland. The garden
was the vision of two clients, Phil G. and Brian L. It’s a therapeutic activity that teaches responsibility, fosters recovery and is managed by the
clients. “They have transformed this area into
a lush garden of green beans, cantaloupes,
watermelons, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak
tomatoes and lima beans in the midst of a
Maryland drought.” noted program
Supervisor Brian Jackson.
“What’s harvested from our garden is served at the facility. It’s great to get to
eat the fruit of your labors! - Phil L”
Gaudenzia Gazette
January 2008
2
www.gaudenzia.org
Chesapeake Summer Picnic
Staff Retreat to Lancaster
Gaudenzia Woodland Avenue
Program Director Rodney Parrish
grills chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers for his colleagues and
their families.
Gaudenzia Woodland Avenue
Program Supervisor
Theresa Thomas
Staff members proudly display their 1st place ribbons.
O
Gaudenzia
Park Heights
Division
Director
Roxanne
Fuentes
and her
daughter
Leah
F
rom August 17 to 19, staff from programs in the
Capital, Lancaster, Erie and North-Central areas
attended the Central Region Staff Retreat. Activities
included team building games, workshops and presentations on a wide variety of subjects to increase job
knowledge and interpersonal skills. West Shore Outpatient’s Stephanie Roth, Common Ground’s Paul
Milewski and Vantage’s Belinda Scott provided inspiring
testimonials for about their journey with Gaudenzia
and how proud they are to witness clients lives being
turned around.
n August 5, a picnic was held in Woodlawn, Maryland to unite staff and their families with other
colleagues. Participants enjoyed Maryland crabs, barbeque, a cool dip in the pool and games for the kids.
Alumni
Raphael P.
“Gaudenzia has been the most inspirational thing in my life.”
M
Only with the help of Gaudenzia and true angels like the
former Gaudenzia Concept 90 Director, the late Donald
Garnett, was it possible to be who I am today. It was
through Donald that I found the foundation of my
recovery.
y name is Raphael. I’m a proud graduate of Gaudenzia
Concept 90 in Harrisburg, the place that gave me my
life back.
I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York in a very
unhealthy home with no positive role models.
I would never know what family was truly about until
Gaudenzia embraced me. They helped me
to deal with this tragic history so I could
find recovery and live a positive and
healthy life. Gaudenzia has been the most
inspirational thing in my life.
My father was the man I should have been
able to depend on the most to teach me
about life, but instead he was the most
abusive person I would ever meet and his
introduction to alcohol led me to a path of
destruction that would take years to
repair.
With virtually no education prior to my
admission to Gaudenzia, at 42 years old,
I didn’t know my ABC’s. I couldn’t write
my own name. Donald hired someone to
help me learn to read and write. I memorized the Gaudenzia Philosophy by reciting it over and over again so I could graduate in 1988.
He made moonshine by the gallon and hid
the jugs in the backyard. By the time I was
five years old, he was serving it to me by
the glass. I remember our regular visits to
bars together. His goal was to sell his
moonshine. He’d force me to consume
the alcohol in the presence of others. If I
fell over and passed out, then it was a
viable product that others would buy.
Today, my heart is filled with love for
my family and for Gaudenzia. I treasure
my time with my two children and three
grandchildren, succeeding at my job and pursuing my
education.
By the time I was an adult, I was shooting-up heroin, mixing it with cocaine, freebasing, smoking marijuana and
drinking.
Gaudenzia Gazette
January 2008
3
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Non-Profit Org.
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Permit No. 566
Corporate Offices
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www.gaudenzia.org
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Fulton Bank Sponsors Gaudenzia
Public Service Announcements
T
he Lancaster Community Affairs Council recently secured sponsorship from Fulton Bank to air 30 second public service announcements on WGAL TV 8 describing Gaudenzia’s work in Lancaster.
The spots aired throughout
the month of September,
coinciding with National
Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Recovery Month. Taping of
the public service announcement took place at Vantage.
WGAL’s television viewing
audience extends eastward
to Chester County, southward into Maryland, northward to the New York State
border and across central
Pennsylvania.
Craig Roda, President of Fulton Bank, prepares to speak to the
camera
The Gaudenzia Gazette is published by the Community Affairs Department of Gaudenzia, Inc. Please mail or e-mail address changes to:
Gaudenzia Gazette, 1910 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102
jgirsch@gaudenzia.org
Michael Harle, M.H.S.
President and Executive Director
Robert P. Kelly
Chairman, Board of Directors
Gadi Aronson
Director of Development
Julie Girsch
Editor/Writer
Writers
Carol Schonour, Rosi Crosby, Cheryl Bryant, Carole Lee