32 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 7, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Houses of worship
should receive
federal disaster
relief: Queens pol
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A Queens lawmaker’s push to allow
places of worship to receive vital federal
disaster assistance is gaining ground.
Th e Disaster Recovery Reform Act,
which included language to allow for
the fi nancial relief, passed the House
Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee on Nov. 30, Congresswoman
Grace Meng announced. Th e reforms will
soon be voted on by the entire House of
Representatives.
Th e measure would enable houses of worship,
currently shut out of receiving federal
disaster assistance because of their religious
status, to have equal access to Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
funds as secular groups. Th e federal agency
would be charged with determining the eligibility
of churches and groups for relief as
it would not private, nonprofi t and secular
groups under current law.
Meng pointed out that many religious
institutions provide “critical assistance” to
their surrounding communities in times
of need.
“Th ese include crucial services such as
child care, food pantries and other vital
programs,” the Congresswoman said.
“Th ey must no longer be treated diff erently
than other nonprofi t entities.”
Meng and other representatives from
New York, New Jersey and Arizona originally
introduced the measure in the
Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofi t
Fairness Act of 2013, shortly aft er the
events of Hurricane Sandy. Th e bipartisan
bill passed the House but was held up in
the Senate, according to Meng.
Th e bill is being considered by lawmakers
in the wake of a string of natural disasters
in areas including Texas, California
and Puerto Rico.
“Five years aft er Hurricane Sandy
wreaked havoc on many churches, synagogues,
mosques and temples, and months
aft er hurricanes pounded Texas, Florida,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
houses of worship are still not permitted
to receive disaster relief funding from
FEMA,” Meng said. “Th is continues to be
extremely unfair and it’s way past time to
change this misguided policy.”
Read the full bill at congress.gov.
Proposed Douglaston group
home receives Board 11 approval
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A nonprofi t organization has the green
light to move into a Douglaston building
and create a group home for adults with
developmental disabilities.
Community Board 11 members voted
overwhelmingly on Dec. 4 in favor of
Services for the UnderServed‘s (SUS)
request to transform a structure at 244-
04 Northern Blvd. into a residence for
eight developmentally disabled adults.
Th e Douglaston building is on the
grounds of St. Anastasia Church, which
previously used it as an annex.
Th e adults that will move into the
group home, who are in their 40s to
50s, currently reside in another area of
Queens, according to Doris Figueroa,
senior vice president of developmental
disabilities services at SUS.
Th e organization will spend $450,000
to renovate the space, Figueroa said.
Th e fi rst fl oor will consist of a living
room, dining room, kitchen, two ADAcompliant
Howard Beach fi tness couple raises
money for Brooklyn-based nonprofi t
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
When it comes to serving the community,
Jack and Corinne Wlody are no
strangers to fi nding unique and creative
ways to give back.
Th at’s why when the Howard Beach
couple — better known as Team Wlody
— became actively involved in volunteering
for Seaside 4 Th erapeutic Riding, a
Brooklyn-based nonprofi t that serves special
needs kids and adults from Brooklyn,
Queens and Long Island who benefi t
from therapeutic riding, they knew they
needed to help in any way they could.
On Nov. 19, Team Wlody held a
“Saddles 4 Autism” 12-mile bike ride
to raise money for the organization.
Th ey gathered donations from clients,
friends and family and organized a ride
along the Belt Parkway bike path from
Howard Beach to the Jamaica Bay Riding
Academy in Brooklyn.
Th e riders included Ken Podziba, president/
CEO of Bike New York; Louis F.
Lotito, manager of Best Market; Th omas
Mercadante of Con Edison; and Guy
Th omas, owner of Guy Th omas Salon.
“We want to get the word out about
this magical program. We’ve seen miracles
happen right before our eyes,” Jack
and Corinne Wlody said. “It’s a privilege
to work with these amazing people and
horses week aft er week. We are all very
devoted.”
Th e duo raised $2,025 for Seaside 4
Th erapeutic Riding. Th e money will
directly to purchasing tack for the horses
and other much needed equipment for
the children of the program.
“Seaside 4 Th erapeutic Riding could
not be more fortunate and blessed
from the moment Corinne and Jack
Wlody accidentally found our program
a little over two years ago,” said
Marian Pierce, program director for
Seaside 4 Th erapeutic Riding. “Th ey and
their wonderful friends raised funds to
help with purchasing equipment and
much-needed supplies for our students
and our horses. Th ey are always an inspiration
and encouragement to others to
work through the tough times. Th ank
you Team Wlody!”
Avid cyclists and NYS Champs of the
2016 National Bike Challenge, Team
Wlody has helped countless people for
over three decades in their private fi tness
studio. In addition to their own charitable
endeavors, they are regular volunteers
with Bike New York and the Holy
Apostles Soup Kitchen.
Team Wlody also released their fi rst
book, “Th e Dog Who Saved Pleasantville,
a ‘Tail’ of Lifestyle Choices for Kids and
Th eir Parents” this past February. Th e
book, which focuses on teaching children
the importance of healthy lifestyle
choices, for sale on Amazon and at
Barnes and Noble and is also available at
Queens Library.
U.S. Air Force photo by/1st Lt. Zachary West
Hurricane relief in Texas post-Harvey
Photo courtesy of Corinne Wlody
bathrooms, four single bedrooms,
medication room and laundry
room. On the second fl oor, there will
be four single bedrooms, two full bathrooms,
a medication room, laundry
room, sitting area, offi ce space and recreational
area with a balcony.
Th e residents, four females and four
males, will be provided with 24-hour
supervision, Figueroa noted. Each resident
will have personal staff assigned
to them, and will receive day and community
rehabilitation services according
to their individual needs. Th e organization
and the state Offi ce for People With
Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)
will conduct regular, routine inspections.
According to Group Homes/
Community Facilities Committee
co-chairman Stephen Pivawer, the organization
has a 20-year lease with St.
Anastasia and will pay the church $3,600
a month for the space. He added that
the area does not have a large number
of similar facilities in the area. Th e committee
had voted unanimously in favor
of the request.
However, Pivawer expressed his displeasure
that a more senior-level member
of the organization was not present
for Monday’s board meeting. During a
previous committee meeting, Pivawer
and other members asked that one be
present for the full board meeting.
Pivawer also asked for more information
on the organization’s fi nancials, particularly
regarding staff salary. Figueroa
referred the board to the state’s Offi ce for
People With Developmental Disabilities,
which monitors its operations.
“I want the monies going to the residents
— that’s my concern,” Pivawer said. “We’re
the taxpayers, and basically 99 percent of
the money is coming from the state.”
“Th e state is going to be monitoring
the Douglaston project,” he added.
SUS’s mission is fi nd solutions to
“transform the lives of people with disabilities,
people in poverty and people
facing homelessness” while “righting
societal imbalances.” Learn more on
their website, sus.org.
Photo via Google Maps
The building at 244th Street and Northern
Boulevard
