A MONTH OF DISCOVERY OCTOBER 2024
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TCFD: A Month of Discovery Friends and Supporters: It’s hard to believe that this time next month, we’ll be well into the holiday season. For now, let’s celebrate the past few weeks of remarkable work, from TCFD’s ongoing features in the local news, to sharing the impactful and transformative work of our food and nutrition program during our Food is Medicine® dinner. Thank you for sharing the joy of the fall season alongside us. |
TCFD’s Music Therapy Program Continues to Make Headlines for its Impactful Work The impactful work of our Music Therapy program is taking the spotlight! From the recently published Songs of Discovery book and its rich collection of 32 original songs, to the team’s work in using music as a powerful tool for connection and healing, learn more about how this program is advancing the field. A special thank you to our Director of Music Therapy, Conio Loretto and Senior Music Therapist, Amanda Ruddy Belcastro for your contributions to this remarkable write-up in the Democrat. Read it here. |
TCFD Receives an Art Donation from Renowned Expressionist Painter Cleve Gray The Center is now the proud recipient of five paintings by celebrated abstract expressionist painter, Cleve Gray. These incredible paintings – shown in our Carrus Institute and Alemany Learning Center at the site of the soon-to-open Children’s Specialty Hospital – resonate with themes of depth, expression, and interconnectedness, reflecting our philosophy of holistic care,” said Dr. Terry Hamlin, TCFD CEO. Thaddeus Gray, son of the late artist, sought to honor his father’s legacy by placing the artworks where they could inspire and uplift. “If they can be tools for young people to learn about art or develop emotionally, that aligns perfectly with the foundation’s goals.” Read the full article here, including our take on how the presence of art can transform the atmosphere. |
Celebrating the Transformative Power of Food during the Food is Medicine Dinner Our Food is Medicine Dinner was an incredible evening where we shared our philosophy of the transformative power of food with a captive audience of dinner guests. TCFD Board Chair, Ed Sweeney, kicked off the event with welcome remarks, followed by TCFD CEO, Dr. Terry Hamlin, who highlighted the remarkable impact that food has on health outcomes in the individuals we serve. TCFD Research Partner, Dr. Kara Margolis, shared her thoughts on the role of the gut microbiome – including years of data and research, and TCFD Board Member, Dr. Don Landry, spoke on the power of food and longevity. During the evening, we were thrilled to kick off our 2024 Annual Appeal. Each year, proceeds from our Annual Appeal benefit our most innovative program areas, one of which is our food, farming, and nutrition program. Our expertise and leadership in this area are leading to significant breakthroughs in the care and treatment of those with complex conditions – and together, we can do so much more. Last but not least, a special thank you to our DaVinci Master Chefs, Chief of DNA – Food and Farming, Chef Cesare Casella, and our entire Department of Nourishment Arts team lead by Jennifer Franck and Peggy Parten, for providing an exceptional menu of nutritious and delicious food for those in attendance. Our 2024 DaVinci Master Chefs:
Together, we have the opportunity to make a profound, lasting impact on the 1,200 children and adults in our care. Donate to our Annual Appeal today, and help support our food and farming program. |
Celebrating Joy and the Fall Season at our Annual Harvest Festival The Center for Discovery community came together once again to celebrate a beloved tradition – the annual Harvest Festival! This year, we honored Blake Washington, NY Budget Director and Sullivan County native, with the Senator Thomas P. Morahan Award for Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare. We were also thrilled to honor Patrick H. Dollard, the former President and CEO of TCFD with the Green Shovel Legacy award for the lasting and profound impact of his leadership. A special shout-out to our Music Therapy team and TCFD residents for kicking the Harvest Festival off with What a Wonderful World. The perfect song choice as we gathered to celebrate one another, and to appreciate the beauty of nature, and the kindness in us all. Thank you to our families, friends, Center for Discovery residents, and staff for the uplifting conversations and warm smiles throughout the event. It’s a day filled with thoughtfulness and compassion – which is at the core of all that we do here – and it always leaves us feeling so inspired and thankful. |
Newburgh Professional Development Day October was a beautiful – and busy – month for The Center for Discovery’s Assessments, Training, and Learner Advancement Services (ATLAS) team! As part of our ongoing efforts to share the amazing work we do, the ATLAS team hosted an intensive professional development day for a group of teachers, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists from the Newburgh Enlarged City School District (NECSD). This intensive began with a tour of the new, soon-to-open Children’s Specialty Hospital and a 2-hour observation in the Early Learners and Explorers classrooms alongside our expert educational staff to demonstrate how we apply the HealthE6® principles in real-time. Our amazing Early Learners and Explorers staff were able to show off some impressive educational, behavioral, and clinical strategies that helped the NECSD staff learn how to apply best practices to their own classrooms and school buildings. Observations were followed by workshops on the theories, practices, and applications of everything they observed. The day wrapped with a host of smiles and ideas to bring back to their classrooms to help enrich the lives of students and staff. One of our participants shared that “The Center for Discovery has really shown what it means to approach each individual with care while also challenging each other to do better each day!” The ATLAS team will now work with each classroom back in their district to help apply and implement strategies learned during their time on our campus. A special thank you to the Early Learners and Explorers school at TCFD, Nancy Hendrickson and her team from Education, NECSD, and Rebecca Acampora and Alex Mellor from the ATLAS team for making the day so successful and proving once again that What Happens Here, Matters Everywhere! |
It’s Open House Season at TCFD
Another incredible show of collaboration and teamwork in putting together such an engaging and joyful Open House for parents of our community students at the Foundations & Friendship, Communication & Technology, Early Learners & Explorers, and Thanksgiving Farm and Community Schools. Each year, our teachers, clinical staff, curriculum team, music and psychology departments, admissions, and farm teams create a welcoming and informative environment with thoughtful presentations, engaging activities, and meaningful conversations that leave parents feeling supported and confident in the care and education their children are receiving. The Open House is a truly collaborative effort, with staff showcasing their incredible creativity, generosity of time, and expertise to parents and family members in attendance.
“We are so grateful for the hard work, enthusiasm, and thoughtful planning that went into these events. It’s moments like these that highlight the strength of our team and our shared mission to provide the best for our students and their families. Thank you again for making this such a memorable and impactful event,” said Kerri Muzuruk, Chief of Education, Curriculum Design and Coordination.
TCFD Admissions Recruits for the Children’s Specialty Hospital at the RAISE Conference
The TCFD Admissions team recently attended the RAISE conference in Albany, where they networked with several key professionals and organizations that had the potential to be valuable resources for TCFD’s programs.
There was a lot of enthusiasm and curiosity about the Children’s Specialty Hospital, where both sponsors and attendees were thrilled to learn more about the Hospital and the services it will provide. The new Executive Director at the Autism Society of the Greater Hudson Region plans to add the Specialty Hospital to their resource library and feature it prominently, and several agencies also expressed that they have individuals who could greatly benefit from our services!
The Admissions team looks forward to further exploring collaboration opportunities and recruiting individuals for the soon-to-open Children’s Specialty Hospital.
 TCFD’s is Making Change with MMC!
We are thrilled to share that TCFD is officially a chapter of Makers Making Change (MMC). MMC is an international organization that shares The Center’s same commitment to promoting inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with disabilities, while raising awareness of open-source assistive tech (AT). Pictured are some of our innovative AT devices that we use each day at The Center, in so many different settings, to improve the lives of those in our care. Stay tuned for more to come! |
Homer Joins our Facility Dog Team! We’re eager to share that we have a new facility dog candidate in our program! On September 20th, the Animal Assisted Intervention and Education program welcomed Homer from Catskill Animal Rescue, Inc. After many guesses from staff and residents on what breed he is, DNA testing revealed Homer is a terrier, poodle, Australian shepherd, bulldog mix, who we believe to be approximately 1-1.5 years old. He is working hard to join the ranks of our other facility dogs, and they are already teaching him the ropes! He is doing well interacting with The Center’s students and residents and building his confidence across our campuses. Everyone that meets him loves his adorable face! Upon successful completion of training, which we expect will take approximately 1-2 years, his projected handler will be our Occupational Therapist, Michelle Barone!” |
Editor in Chief of the Hurleyville Sentinel is Honored by Monticello School District Congratulations to John Conway, Sullivan County Historian, Editor-In-Chief of the Hurleyville Sentinel, and longtime friend of TCFD for being inducted into Monticello Central School District’s Hall of Distinction. Congratulations also go to NYS Budget Director, Blake Washington who was honored during the event, and to Emma C. Chase, First Superintendent of “Third District of Sullivan County.” Congratulations to John on your incredible accomplishments and significant contributions on behalf of the local community. |
Fall-ing in Love with Hurleyville Even More
There’s no stopping Hurleyville! Have you stepped inside Forage & Gather – located right on Main Street? The shop has a new, dynamic duo leading it – and there have been tons of welcome additions in the last few weeks! Now open 7 days per week, Forage & Gather has become the go-to spot in Hurleyville, offering visitors a welcoming atmosphere to gather with friends and loved ones, sit and read with a cup of local coffee and shop for carefully curated goodies.
The café offers made-to-order sandwiches and salads, soup specials, smoothies, weekend brunch, fresh cookies and other baked goods, and incredible barista blends from matcha lattes and seasonal specials, to mocktails and espressos. And with the holidays coming up, you can shop for local goodies like handmade baskets, candles, houseware, and so much more. Perhaps our most favorite quality about Forage & Gather is its inviting and warm atmosphere where we all feel a sense of ease.
Stop by: Monday through Friday, 7am to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 6pm.
Halloween at The Center
