Studio Opens on Campus!

Masthead

SEPTEMBER 2013

In This Issue:

Meet Our Honoree

Arts at ANDRUS

Studio Opens on Campus

JOIN US!
Light Up the Night!

ANDRUS will be holding our annual Fall gala on Friday, October 4 at the Ritz Carlton in White Plains. Join us as we honor James J. Landy and St. Faith's House Foundation. All proceeds benefit ANDRUS' work. For more information contact Judy Wood at (914)965-3700 x 1318 or click here.

Senator Andrea-Stewart Cousins Visits New President and CEO Mimi Corcoran

Mimi Corcoran, Senator Cousins and Board member Jim Foy on the ANDRUS campus in Yonkers.

Light Up the Night with
St. Faith's House Foundation :
An ANDRUS Fall Gala Honoree

We are excited to honor St. Faith's House Foundation on October 4 at our Light Up the Night event! Along with providing support to organizations that serve children and families in need, here are some things you may not know; as told by Sarah Gardner, President of the Foundation:

What do you feel has been the Foundation's greatest impact?

SFHF has provided funds and encouragement to agencies for programs that help underserved children. This has been particularly important in recent years where the already limited County funds have been cut at the same time the need for these programs is growing. SFHF has supported: child care and day care agencies to enable the parents to work; programs for teenagers to educate them about sexual awareness and pregnancy prevention; programs for teens to learn self-respect and motivation; and programs that enrich the life of the body and mind, like getting kids outdoors or into museums.

What do you feel keeps your Board and Supporters engaged?

Our Board members observe the programs we support through site visits. We report to each other about these programs and the difference our funds are making.

Share a little known fact about the history of St. Faith's:

St. Faith's House was a home for unwed mothers. It was originally located in New Haven, CT. It was founded in 1898 by Lena McGhee with the aid of two Bishops. In her youth, Ms. McGhee had been horrified by the treatment a classmate had been given when she became pregnant out of wedlock. In 1901 the establishment moved to Tarrytown, NY where it continued to serve those girls "who had taken their first backward step in life" as an early annual report put it. Residency for some could be as long as two years after the baby was born. In the mid-1970's it became clear that the need for such a sanctuary had abated. In 1974 the Board established the St. Faith's House Foundation in order to provide funds for services for children in need in Westchester County.

How did St. Faith's get its name?

We believe that the name is a nod to the "spiritual direction and encouragement of two Connecticut bishops" that Ms. McGhee was given in 1898.

What has been the most gratifying aspect of the St. Faith's operation?

It is incredibly gratifying to think that we are helping all of these wonderful programs in Westchester County to continue on. Site visits, with the opportunity to see the vital work that is done every day, are a particular joy.

ArtsWestchester Awards ANDRUS Two Artist Residencies

This project was made possible by ArtsWestchester, with funding from Westchester County.

ANDRUS will once again engage our children in the arts! Thanks to a grant from ArtsWestchester, the Andrus Early Learning Center and the Orchard School will have an artist in residency for ten weeks this fall. The programs will each choose from a vast list of artists ranging from hip hop dancing, oil painting, crafts and musical instruction. The artists will visit the two sites for 10 two hour sessions, including a planning session and the necessary supplies."We are thrilled to once again engage our children in creativity and art" said Mimi Corcoran, President and CEO, "We thank ArtsWestchester for this opportunity and look forward to seeing the students' completed work". Thank you to ArtsWestchester and Westchester County for helping our children explore the arts!

RAP (Realizing Artistic Expression

Program) Studio Debuts
on Campus!

A brand new feature on our residential campus encourages students to have a voice and embrace creativity. The RAP studio is a state of the art music and recording space. The Program is designed to create opportunities for ANDRUS children to use various forms of artistic expression-- primarily, but not exclusively involving music composition, performance and recording, as an enhancement to their clinical, educational and residential care. The studio will be used as part of the residential and Orchard School programs.

Participants in the RAP program have the opportunity to use music and lyrical composition, singing, rapping, instrumental performance, the creation of electronic and loop based music, spoken word performance, and the like, to express themselves creatively.

The studio is already taking off and recordings of singing and different beat tracks have been completed. The kids feels a sense of accomplishment when they help record, produce and finalize the work. "Music can be extremely healing and therapeutic for our children," said Mimi Corcoran, President and CEO of ANDRUS, "we hope to invite music professionals, performers and artists to visit and speak with our children". Come visit our studio soon!

About ANDRUS

ANDRUS provides support and treatment for 2,500 children and their families throughout Westchester suffering from emotional illness and trauma. The agency offers prevention, assessment, educational, treatment and research programs that help children and families achieve healthy, stable lives. ANDRUS has grown from its origins as an orphanage into a premier non-profit mental health, social service and special education provider and resource for Westchester.