A CLEAN SCENE 2008!

Neighbors, parents, Girl Scouts, GAP employees and more gathered on a drizzly, gray Saturday morning for the campus division's annual A CLEAN SCENE, May 3.  Pruning, planting, raking and toting twigs was the order of the day: an indoor barbeque ended our time together, but the campus, the children in our care, and our hearts were totally brightened by the event!  Everyone has a gift to share when one has 'a heart for kids!'

A CELEBRATION OF 80 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

For 80 years the Andrus Children’s Center has offered a Sanctuary – a safe place in a troubled world – for our most vulnerable children. Founded in 1928 by John Emory Andrus whose wife, Julia Dyckman, had been orphaned as a young child, the Andrus Children’s Center is built on Mr. Andrus’s belief that children should be treasured and given opportunities to succeed in spite of the losses they had endured.

Please click here for the 80th Anniversary Commemorative Brochure.

YONKERS CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VISITS THE ORCHARD SCHOOL!

On January 11, 2008, Chuck Lesnick, City Council President of Yonkers, accepted an invitation to speak to students of the Orchard School. The visit started with a tour of the Orchard School, a three-time recipient of the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence. The discussion included the functions of the City Council, the role of the City Council President and practical tools for success. Students asked questions about Historic Yonkers, education and the everyday life of a City Council President.

We are pleased to announce that the Andrus Children’s Center has been accredited by the prestigious Council on Accreditation (COA). The COA accreditation is designed to identify providers that have set high performance standards for themselves and have made a commitment to their constituents to deliver the best quality services.

We are pleased to announce that our Psychology Internship Program was reaccredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) until the year 2012. Re-accreditation is a rigorous process that involves a thorough self-study and a two-day site visit. Programs, and the institutions in which they reside, must meet the high standards set by APA. Our program was recognized for its unique training opportunities on Campus and within the Mental Health Division, particularly for our work with children who have experienced trauma and our training in the area of early childhood.

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone that helped make our Sanctuary symposium, “From Seeds to Blossoms: Cultivating Sanctuary Across the Lifespan”, such a wonderful event. The conference was attended by over 200 participants from across the country and included dynamic presentations and panel discussions. Dr. Sandy Bloom, our keynote speaker, discussed the Sanctuary Model, her system-wide, trauma informed approach for creating healing environments. Panelists, Dr. Josette Banks of the Andrus Children’s Center, Sara Wilford of Sarah Lawrence College, Clint Bryant of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Ruth Ann Ryan of Community Works and Joseph Foderero of Community Works each presented their unique experiences using Sanctuary with various populations. Dr. Joy Osofsky, of Louisiana State University, delivered a moving address based on her work with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, detailing strategies to help children in disasters.
If you would like to receive information about upcoming events or learn how to create Sanctuary in your agency, please contact, Sarah Yanosy at syanosy@jdam.org or 914.965.3700, x1117.

The Second Annual Sanctuary Network Day held on October, 24, 2007, was a great success. We want to thank the representatives from over 20 organizations from around the world that came to share their experiences, challenges and successes in using the Sanctuary Model. For more information on how you can create Sanctuary in your program, please contact Sarah Yanosy at syanosy@jdam.org or 914.965.3700, x1117.

Local board members get right to work sharing warm winter coats with kids.
Children and families served by the county-wide clinics of Andrus Children’s Center met the recent onset of cold weather wrapped in more than 420 warm winter coats, courtesy of the local women’s organization, the Children’s Hope Chest. The non-profit, based in Purchase, accepted Andrus’ request to redirect their annual holiday gifting program from toys to brand-new winter coats. Accepting the coats at Andrus’ Yonkers clinic with President and CEO Nancy Woodruff Ment were new board members (from left to right), Pat Premdas, of Rockland County, Rick Schramm, of Eastchester, and Dr. Robert Frelow, of Rockland County. Schramm and Premdas both served on the board of directors of Family & Community Services, Inc., which completed its merger into the Andrus Children’s Center on October 1 of this year. Schramm is with Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate Services in Bronxville; Premdas is CFO of the Apawamis Club in Rye, and Frelow retired as Superintendent of Schools of Greenburgh/Hartsdale.

We are celebrating the successful merger of Family & Community Services Inc. (FCS) into the Andrus Children's Center effective October 1, 2007. This partnership assures that the FCS programs, long-valued by the children and families of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe will gain new life and strength.

NYS SENATOR ENCOURAGES ANDRUS KIDS!
Responding to an Orchard School student presentation entitled L.I.F.E. (Living In Future Epochs) on the dangers of cigarette smoking, New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins encouraged the audience to ‘take charge of your own responsibilities’ and ‘keep on caring for those around you.’ Eighth grader Christopher Stoney, a student at the award-winning (three-time recipient of the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence) school for children with emotional and psychiatric challenges, thanked the Senator for attending the year-end program.

Video Debut a BIG HIT!
Each year guests at our Best of Westchester dinner hear a brief story from a 'client' - someone whose life was truly 'turned around' and strengthened because of the care and sanctuary that Andrus Children's Center provides. This year, a brief-but-compelling video, A Safe Haven, made its premiere, and the response was instant and overwhelming. The stories of Jennifer, abused as a child and now being counseled through our Peekskill PACT (Parents and Children Together) program o be a better mother to her own children; and Noah, a young boy whose loving parents recognized the need for him to grow in our residential program, are engaging to watch.

If you would like a complimentary copy of "A Safe Haven," this 9 minute film in DVD format, please call the Office of Development at 914.965.3700 ext. 1241 to request it. Perhaps it will be of real value to your family or someone you know who might benefit from an Andrus program or service.

To download a podcast of our video for your ipod
right click here (CTRL + click for Macs) and "save link as...".

One Million Ways to Help
An ambitious plan to renovate the interiors of our handsome residential cottages, housing 75 emotionally troubled children, will incorporate state of the art safety features as well as bright and attractive new wall and floor surfaces and comfortable ‘child friendly' furnishings. The cost? Almost 4 million dollars, but our children deserve the very best.
Click here for more details about the project and your participation.