Turning anger into a lifetime of activism

[samhexum]

I admire this woman for what she accomplished.

https://www.longislandpress.com/2023/10/18/victoria-schneps-yunis-building-officially-named/

The Garden City headquarters of Life’s WORC, a nonprofit organization that has fought for the rights of special needs individuals for 50 years, was renamed the Victoria Schneps-Yunis Building on Wednesday in honor of its founder. 

Schneps-Yunis is also the founding president of Schneps Media, the company that publishes Long Island Press, Dan’s Papers, amNew York Metro, the Queens Courier, Brooklyn Paper and more. She founded Life’s WORC in 1971 after finding out of the deteriorating conditions at the former Willowbrook State School on Staten Island, where her daughter Lara Schneps had been. The facility was shut down after Geraldo Rivera exposed the neglect at Willowbrook with a Peabody Award-winning series.

Victoria Schneps-Yunis and Geraldo Rivera.

“The woman for whom this building is named is a perfect symbol of what has happened,” Rivera said. “Taking the tragedy of Lara and making Lara’s story everybody’s story. The story of love, challenge, and loss. The counterpoint to that story is the positive story. Vicki has provided an avenue I wish could be replicated in all 50 states in every country. It is the way to bring humanity and opportunity. Vicki and Life’s WORC deliver equality and opportunity and optimism. And the happy ending is as happy as it can be for any citizen, any American.”

A cornerstone of what Life’s WORC does includes the building of group homes for people with special needs. The organization has dozens of group homes that replaced the warehouse-like conditions of places like Willowbrook and assists thousands of families.

Politicians were in attendance for the event as well, including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, whose office is directly across the street at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building.

“I will get to look out the window of my office every day and see Vicki’s name up there,” Blakeman said at the event. “Vicki Schneps is the queen of media. You all saw her entrance — we should throw rose petals next time. But I’m proud to have this institution right here in the center of Nassau County, because we have a very compassionate and kind county. We’re very proud to have Life’s WORC in Nassau County.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was also in attendance.

“Vicki really is the epitome of that idea that literally one person can help change the world,” Bellone said. “She inspired others around her, who also wanted to make sure that their loved ones had every opportunity. She inspired them to believe that there was something more, something better that they and their loved ones deserved. And she inspired a young journalist who shined the light on this story.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was a guest of honor — and like Rivera, is a longtime friend of Schneps-Yunis.

“When I write my book, there’s going to be a chapter on what she did to get me to become the mayor,” Adams said. “How far back our relationship goes, and how many lives she has touched. Today, we’re celebrating the harvest of a seed that was planted many years ago with a documentary that was done by Geraldo Rivera and Vicki to finally plant that seed. Today we’re seeing the fruits of the harvest as we build the name of the building as it’s named after my friend.”

Schneps-Yunis recalled the journey of both Life’s WORC and Schneps Media through the decades.

“It all started actually because of Geraldo, his coverage and the difference he made, and because of my lovely, beautiful ladies who we started Life’s WORC with,” she said. “When we started our activism, we were knocking on air — until Geraldo came with his cameras. People listened and people were moved. So I said, ‘Gee, that’s the press, I think I’d like to do that one day.’ And so I started with one newspaper in my living room. And, of course, today we own 92 newspapers.”

She also recalled the story of her daughter, Lara.

“Lara was my firstborn child,” she said. “She was my gift from God. She turned out to be a gift to the world. She led me here, where we are today. She appeared helpless, because she was brain damaged when she was born, and was a 3 month old developmentally her whole life. So she appeared to be helpless. But her existence helped thousands of people have a better life.”

Schneps-Yunis also acknowledged the work of her children, who were in attendance, and her late former husband Murray Schneps, an attorney who was a driving force behind the class-action federal lawsuit that closed Willowbrook and reformed mental health care. 

“You are the fruits of our labor, the fruits of our journey,” she said to her children. “And I couldn’t be here without your love and your warmth and support. But Murray was a warrior. And he saw that Willowbrook could never be right. I was an advocate. And you know, we needed both of us and we were a dynamite couple where he fought in the courts. And it was the Willowbrook consent decree that we won.”

The ceremony was closed out with a toast to Schneps-Yunis by Lynne Koufakis, board chair of Life’s WORC.

“We just want to keep going forward,” Koufakis said. ”As Vicki said before, there’s so much that needs to be done. And all of you here today. We know you’re all here for the same reasons, and we just have to keep working together. And I know we’ll make it better.”

Donations to Life’s WORC can be made here. 

1970s

In 1971, Life's WORC Founder Victoria Schneps-Yunis organized volunteers to picket and fight for the rights of the more than 5,000 residents at the disgraced Willowbrook State School. Vicki's advocacy work was inspired by her daughter Lara, who was diagnosed with severe brain damage at an early age and had been a resident at Willowbrook.

In 1972, investigative reporter Geraldo Rivera exposed the brutal living conditions inside the Staten Island-based school, which at the time was the largest institution in the country serving children with developmental disabilities. The story helped gain national media attention which ultimately led to the closing of the school, which had fallen into disrepair following state funding cuts.

WORC, as the organization was once known, went on to purchase the first group home in Little Neck, Queens, which would later be named the Rivera residence in honor of Geraldo Rivera. The first people to live in the home were children who previously resided at Willowbrook.

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1980s

Continuing the Life's WORC mission, the organization opened group homes across Queens and Nassau County throughout the 1980s. These new homes included Rivera, William Road, Schneps, Springfield A and B, and Nubile A and B.

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1990s

In the 1990s Life’s WORC’s first Day Habilitation Program, Life Links I, opened in Queens. Designed to provide enriching activities, socialization, and skill-building opportunities for teens and adults with intellectual disabilities with varying levels of support needs, Day Habilitation programs filled an important gap in services
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The 1990s were also busy for Life's WORC Residential Services, opening homes across Queens and Nassau County and expanding into Suffolk County. New homes included Antonioli, Lindenhurst, Conduit A & B, Foont, Butler, Manzo, Park Avenue, and Roberts residences.

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2000s

The early 2000s were an important time for Life's WORC. The agency moved to a new headquarters in Garden City and opened even more homes across Queens and Long Island. In addition, we expanded the Day Habilitation Programs to include six locations in the same areas. Some of the new homes included Rosedale, Filomena, Udall Road, Laurelton, St. Albans, Claremont, Abi Zeid, Queens Village, Borer, Dix Hills, Garden City Park, 51st Street, Hauppauge, Ozone Park, Drakeford, Duke Street, Valley Stream, Holliswood and Westbury.

In 2006 Life’s WORC Trust Services was established to meet the financial needs of the people we support and their loved ones to protect their assets and secure their financial futures.

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2010s

As the need for programs and services for people with autism rose, Life's WORC opened The Family Center For Autism (FCA) to better serve this community. The FCA opened in April of 2015, introducing an inclusive environment where people of all ages and abilities can explore a variety of activities, classes, and programs for people with special needs and their loved ones.

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2020s

The current decade brought new and unexpected challenges to Life’s WORC, but through it all we have continued to provide safe, quality supports and services to the 2,000 people under our care. Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, the staffing crisis and inflation, Life’s WORC has continued its mission to innovate and expand to support the special needs community. In the same year we celebrated our 50thanniversary, the agency was also approved for five new residences, which will bring the total to 50 homes. In addition, our newest endeavor, WORC Force Community Center, is expected to open in 2024. WORC Force will bring new skills and training programs and increased vocational and employment opportunities to the people we support and community at large.

In an effort to be more inclusive and accurately represent the offerings available to the community at large, in 2023 the FCA was renamed the Family Center for Achievement. This change reflected the fact that the FCA expertise extends beyond autism to support other disabilities, and expanded offerings to those without disabilities and the community.

[+ WilliamM]

Even though I grew up near Boston I know a little about Long Island.

I suggest a link to the link to the article rather than the full article 

[+ azdr0710]

1 hour ago, WilliamM said:

I suggest a link to the link to the article rather than the full article 

Amen. brother!!