STONY POINT CONFERENCE CENTER FIGHTS STIGMA
WITH LOVE
By Cynthia Chazen
Yes, this is the SFZ News
of NJ
but... Rockland County is just a stone's throw to the north and the story behind the good people at the Conference Center is just too good
not to share.
I discovered this peaceful oasis as a Job Developer; one who finds employment for persons with disabilities (including mental illness). A colleague took me to meet their head of food service and directors because they employ many people with disabilities. I was seeking a kitchen job for a client who, due to years of intractable mental illness and addiction (and now solidly in recovery), was basically labeled "unemployable" in the eyes of other institutions/agencies I had tried to set him up with. I believed given the right atmosphere he could work - and he was just so bored and lost without the purpose of honest work.
I remembered their sign. It was one about loving your neighbor unconditionally, and it sits proudly, right in front of the SPCC for all to see.
It made me wonder if there might be a small job there for someone who really, really, needed another chance. I remembered the warm feeling that kind of hit me when I walked in their door. The Center radiates a specific vibe that is just... unmistakable.
It feels like love there.
There's a lot of reasons this conference center is successful and always busy, especially among many diverse religious communities; the great food, good value for money and the simple hospitality offered by all staff that is their hallmark. But behind the quiet and calm exterior this place runs on muscle, like a humming, busy athlete. Running a large conference center takes hard work.
I asked Co-Director Kitty Ufford-Chase about the Center's experience with their mentally ill employees. "They are steadfast and willing", she replied, "If we take one step, the person takes ten steps towards us." She remarked what a gift it is that disabled people are willing to be completely themselves. "It's the most rational thing to offer everyone an opportunity," she added sincerely.
I asked her if the Center's guests noticed their special employees. "Our guests do notice and take their cues from us", she replied, "We act naturally and they clue in quick". She remarked too, that they have never received a complaint about any of their hard-working, disabled employees.
My client is doing quite well here !
If his ride doesn't show up, he even pays a half day's wage to get a cab to work !
You should just
see his smile.
