FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 28, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 55
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@schnepsmedia.com
For the last two weeks, the
focus of my life has been
on Life’s WORC, the people
we serve and the people helping
us in our mission.
Th is has been an exciting
month of putting the spotlight
on the critical work of building
visibility regarding the special
needs of people in our group
homes in the community.
One week ago, I had lunch
with Geraldo Rivera and Bill
O’Reilly and spoke with
Sean Hannity about how
they have generously
agreed to donate between
them $150,000 to Life’s
WORC. Then, Dr.
Harvey Manes, who had
donated $25,000 through
his Manes American
Peace Prize Foundation,
decided to up his donation
to $50,000 aft er reading my
“Th ree Musketeers” column.
Th en this week, hopeful future
mayor Eric Adams had breakfast
at the Geraldo Rivera Group
Home in Little Neck — the
fi rst home to open for children
who came out of the infamous
Willowbrook State School. His
mission was to listen and learn
about the needs of the people
with developmental disabilities
and autism in our great city.
Back in June 1977, the doors of
the Geraldo Rivera Group Home
opened to serve the children who
had come from Willowbrook
Eric had come alone in his
black SUV to visit and learn
about the people who Life’s
WORC and other nonprofi ts
serve.
Willowbrook has become
synonymous with neglect. Th e
scandalous facility was closed
aft er our successful class action
lawsuit and group homes were
Helping our special children
opened for the 5,400 people who
had lived there.
Fast forward to today, Eric,
in an interview, had misspoken
about the use of that Staten
Island institution and I immediately
reacted.
He accepted my invitation
to learn about the people
who had lived 44 years ago at
Willowbrook (now reimagined
as the College of Staten Island)
by visiting the former residents
at the home where they now live
in dignity.
He was a great listener as
he walked through the beautifully
landscaped home that
is designed to meet the special
needs of the people who
live in the Gaskell Road location
in Little Neck, Queens — one
Eric listened to the leaders who represent hundreds of
thousands of people in the special needs community.
AN EASY CHOICE
I would like to remind everyone how important it is to VOTE NOW.
In Queens, Joann Ariola, a friend of mine for decades, is the clear choice to represent the
neighborhoods of Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood,
Neponsit, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury,
South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach and Woodhaven in
District 32.
She has lived in the district for decades, and as a longtime civic
leader, she has all the qualities to serve the wonderful people in
those communities.
She has 30 years of experience working for two mayors, as
well as members of the New York CIty Council on both sides
of the aisle, nonprofi ts and private sector.
She is active in organizations for those in need which
are donated to families of domestic violence, and local
family shelters. And she will always support our fi rst
responders.
Joann can help us to get through the pandemic and
bring back our neighborhoods stronger than ever.
I know she will fi ght to give her constituents the
quality of life they deserve.
of 50 homes in the
community operated
by Life’s WORC.
We were joined
by Lynne Koufakis,
chair of the Life’s
WORC board, and
her husband
Michael,
along with Life’s
WORC CEO Janet
Koch, as we walked,
talked and answered
Eric’s questions.
We then went into
the living room for
a chat with leaders in the fi eld
representing nonprofi t organizations
off ering services for people
with special needs, including
Marco Damiani, the leader
of the $350 million AHRC New
York City, Th omas McAlvanah,
executive director of the
Interagency Council and Yvette
Watts, chair of
QSAC.
Our lively discussion
of issues of concern held
Eric’s full attention and he boldly
said to us, “Give me a blueprint
— what are your issues and what
are the solutions?”
He also off ered to set up an
advisory committee to help oversee
roadblocks for implementation
and bureaucracy in city
government.
As he walked out the door at
11:44 a.m. with the sun shining
over us, he left behind a
roomful of smiling, engaged and
newly won fans ready to do their
homework to enable Eric to do
his work to make the lives of our
special needs family members
ones of dignity and success.
He left us with much hope for
the future!
Welcoming a
decade-old friend,
my choice for mayor,
Eric Adams.
Lynne and Michael
Koufakis with Eric.
Eric with (l. to r.) Tina Moreno, Maya Snaith, Farah
Domond-McKenzie, Lynette Garcia and Janet Koch.
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