Welcome to the January 2021 TCFD Newsletter!
Family, Friends, and Supporters,
We are already more than a month into the New Year and our hopes are soaring.
We are incredibly grateful that 93% of our residents and so many of our staff now have immunity to the COVID-19 virus! And, we’ve been named the “Best Place to Work!” We’ve educated countless people on our Integrated Arts program, and our mission of compassion and kindness made it onto a national magazine’s website.
All this – in one month!
Here’s a quick glance at The Center for Discovery in January:
Immunity! TCFD Early Vaccination Program Alleviates Fear & Protects Community
The Center for Discovery has started on the path to immunity from the COVID-19 virus!
A total of 650 staff members and 250 residents were vaccinated in January. By the middle of February, all will have received the required two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Susan Sayers, TCFD’s Chief of Nursing, said the vaccine recipients had only minimal side effects including: headache, fatigue, and low grade fever.
“We have had a wonderful couple of weeks,” said Dr. Terry Hamlin, our Associate Executive Director, in the weekly COVID-19 update to staff and parents. “We talked about having Christmas in March for families,” said Dr. Hamlin, “They are ready for Christmas in February, and I think that wish is going to come through for a majority of our adults who by February 3rd will have immunity after the 2nd dose.” The successful program will also allow for more short-term visits like a weekend at home.
Dr. Hamlin shared that The Center may also soon be a vaccine distribution site for the county, continuing TCFD’s mission of service throughout the area.
If you did not get to see the remarkable CNN report on TCFD’s vaccination program, please watch it here and share with friends: http://bit.ly/TCFDCNN2020. The Center was also featured in a local paper – The Times Herald-Record, for its pandemic leadership and vaccination process. Read it here: https://bit.ly/THRTCFDSecuresVaccines.
TCFD Named Sullivan County’s Best Place to Work!
We are so humbled and grateful to the people of Sullivan County who have voted The Center for Disovery “Best Place to Work” in the 25th Annual River Reporter Readers’ Choice Awards!
Here at The Center, we think of each one of our 1700 staff members as family, and we work hard to provide the best benefits to them. During the pandemic alone we’ve created a Staff Co-Op Market, “Wash House” free laundromat, expanded our Ride Share program to and from home, extended emergency assistance, developed a multitude of resources for enhanced mental, emotional and physical health during this challenging time, and so much more.
Please share our wonderful news with friends, family, and colleagues.
TCFD’s Seminar: Estate Planning – Securing the Future for Your Loved Ones
Our first virtual planned giving seminar tackled the difficult and complex task of estate planning.
TCFD parents, caregivers, staff, friends and family were treated to a very informative session with two veteran attorneys and special needs parents, Adrienne J. Arkontaky, Vice President of the Cuddy Law Firm, and Kim Schefler Raisler, a partner at the entertainment law firm Levine, Plotkin and Menin and a member of The Center for Discovery’s Board Development & Endowment Committee.
Adrienne told the attendees “It’s never too early…. Everybody needs a will. Everybody needs an advance directive.” But she cautioned, “This is not a one size fits all thing.”
The starting point, she said, is sitting down and taking stock of all of your assets. Once that is complete families can really discuss with their attorney what will be the most helpful to them and their loved one. She also discussed with Kim many other topics including: letters of intent, guardianship, transition planning, and securing access to benefits, power of attorney, a healthcare proxy and the various types of trusts.
If you would like to watch this very important session for our community, please visit: https://vimeo.com/500225705/a07c9ffbd1.
TCFD Teaches the World – Integrated Arts!
With the support of the Taft Foundation, our Integrated Arts team is teaching countless others about opening up the world for individuals with complex conditions, through the arts – TCFD-style.
Under the leadership of Conio Loretto, our Director of Music Therapy, the entire Integrated Arts Department is developing virtual presentations for our staff, other care providers, families, and school districts across the nation. Following each weekly seminar there is a live “question & answer” period to further discuss the material.
Jessica Calabrese, our Integrated Arts Training Coordinator, said the team has already gotten wonderful feedback, including from one of our parents who shared that after attending our music therapy seminar, she now has a way to ‘distinguish, identify, and label the music therapy interventions used with her daughter’ and can more easily decide how to use music during their time together.”
For a complete schedule now through March, and to register, visit: https://bit.ly/TCFDVirtualSeminar2021; You can also watch them online at: https://bit.ly/TCFDConferenceYT2020.
TCFD in Forbes!
The kindness that we know is at the heart of our Center for Discovery is center stage on Forbes.com.
The website posted a great story about the feature length documentary – The Antidote – in which we were one of the organizations featured.
Please take a look: https://bit.ly/TCFDInForbes.
The Center for Discovery’s Online Dayhab Market – Now Open!
The Center is thrilled to announce the launch of the Dayhab Online Shop! You now have a chance to shop for a variety of products that are thoughtfully and hand-made by our residents in our Dayhab Program, along with a few of DNA’s best sellers.
The online shop features a carefully curated selection of products like soap and handwoven items, to home goods and winter accessories. To browse and shop, visit https://www.tcfdstaff.org/store/c2/DAYHAB_ONLINE_MARKET_.html. Upon visiting, you will be prompted to register for an account. After creating an account, you will receive an automated email informing you that your access has been granted. Once approved, you’ll be able to shop the Dayhab market.
All proceeds from the sale of the Dayhab Online Market are distributed back to the Dayhab Program at TCFD. Again, we are so thrilled to share with you all of the wonderful products being made on site at The Center for Discovery. We hope you enjoy!
Join Us on Social Media in 2021
Please like and follow us on all social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for great stories, updates on our Children’s Specialty Hospital, and more!
Hashtags:
#WhatHappensHereMattersEverywhere
#HealthWellnessAndWonders #FutureFullOfDiscovery