By Adam Kramer
When asked if she liked living on her own, Sylvia quickly blurted out “yes.” As she sheepishly looked over at her mother, who was standing next to her, she rapidly changed her answer to “no” and was given a bear hug by her mother whose eyes had swelled up with tears.
Silvia Gonzalez, Sylvia's mother, who had just moved from Flushing to Glen Cove L.I., said getting her daughter into the UCP Queens home was important because she lives alone and works at C.W. Post University.
Gonzalez trusts UCP Queens to take care of her daughter, who has been helped by the organization since she was 1, and to allow her to lead as normal a life as possible. Even though Sylvia no longer lives at home, they see each other every weekend and have already started to plan for the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.
The New Hyde Park Home at 269-18 77th St., which opened Sept. 19, was the second UCP Queens home to be built in the area over the past year and Charles Houston, executive director of UCP Queens, said there were eight in northeast Queens. He said there were five in a complex off the Grand Central Parkway in Little Neck, one in Jamaica Estates, one on 251st Street in Bellerose and they were looking for more.
“Homes like this are critically important,” said Susan Moran, director of residences for UCP Queens. “Parents have a macabre saying that we can't die until we have residential placement for our child.”
She said that when the children finally move out they become more independent in their new living environment and the residents become one big family.
Cerebral palsy is a birth defect usually caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. It can have a wide range of effects from physical to mental. Moran said a person might be brilliant and spastic or have severe mental retardation and no physical problems.
“In one home that has been open for 20 years the oldest resident is 80 years old and the youngest is 60 years old. They fight like a family and live like a family,” Moran said. “When one is sick, they go to visit them in the hospital.”
The four-bedroom home, which houses eight residents and was made possible by Gov. George Pataki's NYS-Cares program, looks similar all the other homes on the blocks surrounding Long Island Jewish Medical Center. It has a living room, dining room, kitchen, two sitting areas, three bathrooms and a backyard. The home is also wheelchair-accessible.
NYS-Cares is a five-year program, whose goal is to eliminate the community waiting list for residential placements throughout the state.
Margaret Keating, 47, the oldest resident in the home, said she likes her new surroundings and gets excited talking about all of the extracurricular activities organized by UCP Queens, especially bowling.
“This place is very important because I am not getting any younger,” said Virginia Keating, Margaret's mother, who lives around the corner, as she glanced over at her smiling daughter. “This alleviates a worry. I know she is safe.”
Although there was a moratorium put into place by Community Board 13 to prevent the building of new group homes, the New Hyde Park neighbors have been very open to the home and its residents who come from the area.
Moran said Sue Noreika, the president of CB 13, has been extremely helpful to UCP Queens and the board “welcomed us with open arms.”
People worry that the home might deteriorate, she said, but UCP was mandated by the state to preserve the condition and maintain certain standards. Moran said residents are concerned that the value of their home will decline when a group home opens in their neighborhood, but statistics have proven property values increase.
“I think it is great,” said Mike Castellano, who lives two doors down from the home and is the vice president of the Lost Community Civic association. “We welcome them into the community and onto the street. I think they will be great neighbors.”
City Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Hollis), who along with Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D-Bayside) cut the ceremonial ribbon opening the home, said the facility is important because it allows the residents to live a normal life and reach their potential.
Weprin expressed similar sentiments and said he was happy to see the neighbors welcoming the home into the community.
