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NEWS
MEDIA CONTACT
Dalmath Associates, Inc.
(585) 586-6650
585-729-7533
585-755-6911
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Lifetime Assistance Marking 40 Years
of Breaking Down Barriers, Advocating for Independence and Inclusion, and Changing the World for People with Developmental Disabilities
Agency has grown from one pioneering day treatment program serving 32 people to 70 sites serving 1800 people annually and is now the largest organization serving people with developmental disabilities in Monroe County
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Rochester, NY-–September 12, 2018--
Lifetime Assistance
, the region’s largest and most comprehensive agency serving people with developmental disabilities, will celebrate its 40
th anniversary this year.
It will mark the milestone with several activities including The Heart of Lifetime, a collection of messages
of what Lifetime means to families, donors, businesse
s, and the community, and a big 40
th
Anniversary Celebration for more than
700 Lifetime staff members, service recipients and invited guests on Friday, September 28 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
Lifetime to Present Awards to Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, and Donna Lowry
At the 40th Anniversary Celebration, two very special pioneers in the field of developmental disability services will be honored. Tom Golisano, and
the
Golisano Foundation
will be presented the Lifetime Inspiration Award. Donna Lowry, a founder of Lifetime Assistance along with her husband Don, will be presented the Lifetime Legacy Award.
Four Decades of Growth and Progress
Lifetime's four decades of growth and progress have spanned a dramatic period of change in how care is provided and what kind of services are available for people with disabilities.
Lifetime Assistance has been a key player in the movement to help people come out of the darkness of being warehoused and forgotten in institutions to thriving in inclusive communities with independence, pride, productivity and dignity.
Lifetime Assistance began in 1978 as a day treatment program for 32 people in one location in Brockport. It was born out of a conversation around a kitchen table with four devoted families who were concerned about the lack of care options for their children fast-approaching adulthood.
That single program has since grown to become the region’s largest agency serving more than 1,800 people with developmental disabilities. Lifetime Assistance now offers a full spectrum of individualized services at 70 residential, day service and community program sites throughout western New York.
With a staff of more than 1,500, some of whom were the original trailblazers of this pioneering enterprise, children and adults are able to receive essential support to reach their maximum potential and level of independence, helping them live with dignity and purpose.
Lifetime’s 40th anniversary will be a celebration of the accomplishments of those with disabilities who have overcome so much and the people and partners of Lifetime Assistance, who have worked tirelessly to break down barriers and change the world for people of all abilities, helping them to reach their greatest potential.
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Front row, - Cori Piels, Back row: Lifetime Assistance Board Members Donna Lowry, Tom Smithgall and Don Furey,
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Jamie Branciforte, President and CEO, who has been at Lifetime’s helm for 30 years said, “I am honored to be part of such an extraordinary agency. Lifetime has achieved incredible success in 40 years; the most important being measured by the thousands of lives that we have forever changed.
"For example, Cori Piels, a young woman who we have supported for many years, came to America from Mother Theresa’s orphanage in India. She was adopted by a Rochester family, has been employed by Lifetime Assistance, spoke to the United Nations, and now has moved into her own apartment. She continues to amaze us and blossom. And we hear stories like that every day, of people who are living fulfilling lives with independence.”
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Lifetime’s Pioneering Firsts
Since 1978 Lifetime’s milestones and pioneering “firsts” have continued to assure meaningful, inclusive lives for people of all abilities.
- First community residence opens in 1979.
- First supervised apartments in the region opens in 1986 on Buffalo Road.
- First supportive apartment, President’s Village, opens in Brockport In 1988.
- First home in Monroe County to serve children with behavioral challenges opened on Chili Avenue.
- First voluntarily operated Family Care service in the 10-county region opens in 1992.
- First Individualized Residential Alternative apartment in Monroe County, Clarkson Apartments opened in 1994.
- First Preventive Parenting Support program, Lowry Day Treatment, opens in 1994.
- First condos, Windsor Condos, opens in 1997.
- First Individualized Residential Alternative for children with intellectual or developmental opens in 1999.
- LeRoy, Lifetime’s first Genesee County site in 2003.
- Started Providing In-Home Respite Services in 2013.
- First Shared Living home opens in 2014.
- First integrated housing complex in the area, Frances Apartments, opens in 2017.
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Advocating for Inclusion in Housing, Employment and the Community
Lifetime Assistance has been a powerful advocate for inclusion, working with dozens of community businesses, creating opportunities for partnerships and employment. Through these partnerships, an understanding of the vast amount of talent and skill among individuals with developmental disabilities has been developed, providing more opportunities for inclusion and success.
“The inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in employment, housing and the community was unheard of 40 years ago,” Branciforte said. “We have come a long way since then.”
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Entrepreneurial and Collaborative
With opportunities also come challenges. In a field that is laden with red tape, mandates and regulations, funding and staffing shortages, Branciforte and Lifetime Assistance continue to navigate those challenges, changing attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities. One of the ways they have done this is by creating partnerships with others with common motivations, beliefs and challenges.
“This is a tremendously complex environment, so we can accomplish a lot more by working with peer agencies, board members, and community leaders, than we ever would alone,” added Branciforte. ”It is an uphill climb to begin with. We wouldn’t be able to succeed without those collaborations and common direction, energy and hard work, getting the investment from many people. We are grateful to all those who have stood with us over these past 40 years. They have helped us become a strong, spirited entrepreneurial organization that helps those in need lead inclusive, meaningful lives.”
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A Leader in Job Creation
Donald W. Whitney, Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation President, said
“Lifetime Assistance is a well-known and highly respected agency in our community. It is a leader in creating jobs for people with developmental disabilities."
At the core of Lifetime’s success in helping thousands of people live more independently and be productive is starting with the person and their individual unique needs.
Ernie Haywood, who began working at Lifetime as a Relief Worker 37 years ago, and is now Senior Vice President, said, “We have never lost sight of our mission over the years as we always put those we support in front of us. What a tribute to our founding board that 40 years later we remain true to their commitment to always put the individuals we serve first and to provide supports and services throughout their lifetime.”
One example of the thousands of custom solutions Lifetime has created that have changed lives is Carol Montesano. Carol was one of six people who moved from a nursing home into a new state-of-the-art Lifetime home on Calkins Road after extensive renovations and lift and transfer equipment was installed to make the home barrier free. Carol, like so many others, had previously been living in a nursing home because a home with the right assistive devices wasn’t available.
“I feel so independent being able to open and close doors by myself, thanks to the remote opener,” said Carol. “My roommates and I are so thankful for our new lifts and therapy tub, they have changed our lives. Moving here has changed my life, and we are all one big family now.”
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Photo Captions
Top Photo: Carly Jordan begins her studies in the Baking Program at SUNY Alfred State. With the help of Lifetime Assistance, Carley has paved the way for other students with disabilities breaking into the culinary field
Second Photo: Jamie Branciforte, Lifetime Assistance President & CEO
Third photo: back row - Lifetime Assistance Board Members Donna Lowry, Tom Smithgall and Don Furey, front row, - Cori Piels
Fourth Photo: Shawn Gaines, Blake Jones, Marquan Hale & Steven Wagner at one of Lifetime's newest homes opened in 2017
Bottom Photo: For more than five years, Stephanie Kanis has been a Front End Cashier at Wegmans. She started her Wegmans career right after high school, and quickly developed a talent for great customer service.
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About Lifetime Assistance
Lifetime Assistance Inc. is the largest, most comprehensive agency in the Greater Rochester area serving children and adults with developmental disabilities. It serves more than 1,800 people every day at more than 70 sites providing a full spectrum of individualized services to help children and adults with developmental disabilities reach their maximum potential by promoting self-reliance, independence, dignity and success. Lifetime is accredited by the Council on Quality and Leadership. Only 300 agencies nationwide and just 10% of agencies in New York State have earned this honor, demonstrating the highest quality of service.
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