NYFAC TO START RENOVATIONS ON $4.9M HOWARD BEACH AUTISM FACILITY

The puzzle pieces on the wall of what will be the new nearly $5 million, 10,000-square-foot autistic services facility at 164-14 Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach are meant to be symbolic, said Andrew Baumann, CEO of nonprofit New York Families for Autistic Children (NYFAC).

“Autism is a puzzle; it’s about finding the missing pieces,” he said.

The Ozone Park-based nonprofit, which provides services for more than 300 families in Queens and Brooklyn, hopes to help those families find those missing pieces in the form of new programs that their facility—scheduled to open in June—will provide.

Renovations at the new site are expected to take 90 days, with NYFAC officials slating June 1 as the official ribbon-cutting ceremony that will mark the opening of the facility.

Between support, training, clinical and recreational services, NYFAC, founded in 1998, currently offers at least 18 different programs for families. The added room at the new two-floor facility on Cross Bay Boulevard will allow the agency to add new programs such as art, music and drama for children with autism.

The $4.9 million in funding for the facility—split between city, state and federal funding sources—includes $2.5 million from the Queens delegation to the council, $1.5 million from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s budget, $300,000 from Congressman Gregory Meeks, $200,000 appropriated by former state Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer prior to her stepping down last year, and $200,000 from state Senator Malcolm Smith.

Baumann called funding the facility, a project in the making for the last six years, a joint effort on local, state and federal levels.

While NYFAC currently provides support groups and informational session workshops for parents and professionals, the nonprofit’s current facility in Ozone Park, Baumann said, does not have the space necessary to do much more than that.

“I can’t have kids here; we don’t have the room for it. So the new building is going to be completely dedicated to the kids that we serve,” he said.

It took NYFAC roughly 15 months to iron out the details on the property deal involving the Cross Bay Boulevard facility—formerly the site of now-closed Chinese restaurant Danny’s Schezuan, which was owned by Danny Chan, a close friend of Baumann’s.

The nonprofit closed the deal on the property last June. Chan, who last owned the property, donated a piano for the music center, which will be dedicated to the Chan family.

NYFAC plans to use the additional space provided by the facility to house adult programs, children’s programs, speech therapy, socialization and music classes, first aid, a sensory room for occupational therapy, and a full working kitchen to teach home economics. That’s just the first floor.

The second floor will provide space for an instructional room, computer room, meeting room, board room, and administrative offices, among others.

Also featured on the second floor will be a TV studio to web cast instructional videos, presentations, lessons for kids, training programs, or even shows that children sing or act in at the center.

“We want to make our community a big part of this building, so community involvement is key to us,” said Baumann.

Adding additional programs such as those, Baumann said, would go a long way towards providing assistance to local families with loved ones struggling with autism.

“One in a hundred kids get diagnosed in with autism,” he said. “Whether you’re in Queens or elsewhere, it’s a big issue.”

With the current facility, NYFAC sends employees to local homes three to four days a week to work with autistic children, where they teach them activities in daily living—which are basic social interactions such as learning to shop at a store.

From a parent’s point of view, Cheryl Marsh, NYFAC’s executive director, whose own daughter, Tori, was diagnosed with autism, pointed out that the struggles that come with raising a child with autism are many, which make any extra support vital for families to cope.

“The word is ‘more’,” Marsh said. “Every child has tantrums, but our children have them longer and much more intense. Every child goes to doctors, [but] we have specialists for everything. Everything is just more, and it can be extremely overwhelming.”

“The beauty of NYFAC is that we’re all together,” she added. “When your child is the one that is rolling on the floor and screaming, nobody is going to look at you, nobody is going to judge you…we’re in this together and we understand. When we first started NYFAC, we did it ourselves, and there was nothing. Now we can give back to the people that come after us.”

By Jean-Paul Salamanca

Forum Newsgroup Photo by Jean-Paul Salamanca

jp-salamanca@theforumnewsgroup.cm

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1. NYFAC in the News! NYFAC  was recently featured in the New York Daily News...

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NYFAC  was recently featured in the New York Daily News for the new autistic center opening early 2012.

Comprehensive $5 million autistic center to open in Howard Beach
New York Families for Autistic Children to start facility renovations

Andrew Baumann (left), the head of New York Familes for Autistic Children, and his autistic son Anthony, 18, in the Howard Beach building that is to become one of the largest comprehensive Autism centers in Queens. --Nicholas Fevelo for New York Daily News

By Clare Trapasso / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A Queens group plans to transform a Howard Beach Chinese restaurant into a $5 million comprehensive center for autistic children and adults.

The New York Families for Autistic Children facility is expected to be one of the largest of its kind in the borough, said President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Baumann.

Renovations on the building are slated to begin next week. The center is to open June 1.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/comprehensive-5-million-autistic-center-open-howard-beach-article-1.1011068#ixzz1kfxV7ASk

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2. New Building Rendering This is the final architectural rendering of the new NYFAC...
3. NYFAC’s Annual Dinner Dance Set for March 1, 2012 New York Families for Autistic Children will hold its 14th...

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New York Families for Autistic Children

will hold its

14th Annual Dinner Dance and Awards Celebration

on

Thursday, March 1, 2012

at

Russo’s on the Bay,

Cross Bay Boulevard and 163rd Avenue 

Howard Beach, New York

Cocktail Party begins at 6:30 PM – Dinner to Follow

Raffles and Silent Auction

Please join us as we honor these very special friends:

Guardian Angel Award:  …………………………………… The Honorable Erich Ulrich,

                                                                                                           Member, New York City Council

Lifetime Achievement Award: …………………………….. Gerogiana Reese – Benatti

Humanitarian Award:  …………………………………………………………. Mike Brothers

Community Service Award: ……………………………………………….. Jack Taravella

Excellence in Special Education: ……………………………………… Debbie Edmunds

                                                                                                                                            Ozzie Roman

Autism Advocacy Award: …………………………………………………….. Scott Badecsh

TICKETS

Individual ……………………………………………………….. $125 per person

Table of 14 ……………………………………………….. $1,600 (no journal ad)

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Dinner Sponsor – $10,000

Includes TWO tables for fourteen and Special Recognition in the Journal

Cocktail Party Sponsor – $5,000

Includes table for fourteen and Special Recognition in the Journal

NYFAC Staff Tables Sponsor – $3,000

They work really hard!

Includes two tables of Ten and Gold Full Page Journal Ad

Music Sponsor – $1,000

Centerpiece Sponsor – $1,000

Raffle Sponsor – $500

Auction Sponsor – $500

All sponsors will be acknowledged in the reception area and special thank you in the dinner journal.

DINNER AND JOURNAL ADVERTISING

Diamond Benefactor – $7,500

Includes outside back cover ad and table for 14

Emerald Benefactor – $5,000

Includes inside front cover ad and table for 14

Ruby Benefactor – $4,000

Includes inside back cover and table for 14

Sapphire Benefactor – $2,500

Includes gold page ad and table for 14

Garnet Benefactor – $2,000

Includes silver page ad and table for 14

JOURNAL ADVERTISING

Gold Page ………………………………………………………………………………………. $1,000

Silver Page ………………………………………………………………………………………. $500

Full Page ………………………………………………………………………………………….. $300

Half Page …………………………………………………………………………………………..  $150

Quarter Page ……………………………………………………………………………………….$75

Business Card ……………………………………………………………………………………..$50

Friends of NYFAC (includes one line up to 80 characters, including spaces) ….$20

Please include copy of layout and camera ready artwork, name, address, phone number and contact person.

Insert a photograph $50 per picture additional.

Please make checks payable to NYFAC and mail to:

NYFAC Journal 2012

83-10 149th Avenue

Howard Beach, NY 11414

For further information call (718) 641-3441, ext. 144

Ads must be received no later than February 13th, 2012

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On Saturday, December 17th, 2011, Anita Sessa, Executive Assistant to the
President of NYFAC, and Jennifer Persaud, MSC Supervisor, assisted NYFAC members
create fun crafts to fill their homes for the winter holiday season.

See photos below…

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This is the final architectural rendering of the new NYFAC Building at 164-14 Crossbay Boulevard. The building is scheduled to open its doors in early 2012, and will host a wide variety of programs and services for the entire family.

The final architectural rendering of the new NYFAC Building at 164-14 Crossbay Boulevard.

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NYFAC’s President and CEO Andrew Baumann and Community Affairs Director, Mitch Udowitch, were recently interviewed in the Courier Sun to shed more light on the new building at 164-14 Cross Bay Boulevard.

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The Child’s Place for Children with Special Needs at the Brooklyn Public Library, will offer Social Skills for Children with Autism Workshop on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon at the:

Central Library

10 Grand Army Plaza

Brooklyn, NY 11238

Third Floor Trustee’s Room

Parents and guardians of children with Autism are invited to attend. This workshop will examine the benefits of social play and leisure for children on the Autism Spectrum.

Parents will gain insight into:

• Identification of play/leisure goals;
• Identification of associated social skills;
• Recognizing readiness for social skill integration;
• Ways to bring social skills taught in school to the home environment;
• How peer interaction is beneficial to children on the Autism Spectrum

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Thank you Ave Maria Catholic Academy for generously inviting NYFAC members to the ‘FAMILY FESTIVAL’! NYFAC members were able to enjoy free rides, midway games, entertainment, and food. Additionally, Andrew Baumann, President & CEO of NYFAC, volunteered to be dunked in a water dunk tank, with all proceeds going towards the Ave Maria Catholic Academy. Check out the fun in the pictures below!

Thank You Senator Joe Addabbo, Jr.!

Hoping to dunk Andrew Baumann!

Thank You Doreen DeCandia!

Excited to dunk Andrew!

Dunked!

Will Andrew be dunked again?

Lining up to dunk Andrew

Andrew thanking Ave Maria Catholic Academy

Thank You Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr.!

Having Fun!

Adorable!

Everyone having fun!

Riding the Crazy Bus

Riding the Flying Carpet

Cute!

Thank You Gwen Sacks!

Cute!

Riding the Carousel

Riding the Tornado

Fun!

Families having fun!

Thank You Assemblyman Michael Miller!

Racing on the Flying Carpet

Food!

Cute!

Midway Games!

Yum!

Playing Ball

Fun Games!

Dunk Time!

The Burts dunking Andrew!

Andrew splashing water at the Burts!

Andrew's son attempts to dunk his father!

Success!

Andrew's son attempts to dunk his father!

Trying to dunk Andrew!

NYFAC Staff Member John attempts to dunk his boss!

Dunked!

Having fun

Andrew having fun with the kids

All smiles at the end of the day

Fun!

Dunked One Too Many Times?

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We at NYFAC hope everyone at our annual Car Wash and Car Show had loads of FUN! Thank you to EVERYONE who helped with your kind donations, time, resources, etc.  We could not have done this without all of our sponsors, volunteers, and participants!

Check out the fun from Sunday, July 11, 2010, in the pictures below – enjoy!

Let the Car Wash Begin!

NYFAC Staff Member Molly gets the party started

Many Cars Getting Washed!

Volunteers working together to get the job done

Thank You Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr!

Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr helping out

Washing the Police Van

Sometimes more than the car gets washed...

Thank You Assemblyman Michael Miller!

Thank You for your help!

Our volunteers hard at work - thank you all!

Thank You Barbara Friedman!

Getting soapy!

Clean Car!

Assemblyman Michael Miller helping out

Look at the line of cars!

Working together!

Thank You Sen. Shirley Huntley!

Thank You for all your Help and Support!

Thank You West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Corp!

Volunteers working together to get this big job done

No job is too big for our dedicated volunteers

Sen. Shirley Huntley showing how it's done

Thank You to Our Hard Workers!

Thank You NYPD 106 Pct Explorers and School Safety Explorers!

Thank You for Your Support!

DJ Nicki 'Bop' Mascia

Cars at the Car Show

More Cars for the Car Show!

Even more cars at the car show

Hanging Out at the Car Show

Checking out the Car Show!

Amazing!

What a beauty

Yum!

Pet-friendly at the car show!

Winners of the Classic Cars Category:
1st : Bill Newton – 1961 Chevy Corvette
2nd : Andy Gleiss – 1967 Chevy Impala
3rd : Jonathan Taylor – 1963 Chevy Impala

Winners of the Luxury Cars Category:
1st : Angela Ratelli – 1998 Cadillac Hearse
2nd : Sheldon Cantor – 1978 Oldsmobile ‘98
3rd : Biagio Seminara – 1939 Cadillac 75 Series

Winners of the Sports Car Category:
1st : Joseph Allen – 2008 Dodge Challenger
2nd : Dominick Quaranto – ’07 Chevy Corvette
3rd : Anthony Barrella – 1989 Corvette Convertible

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NYFAC members attended the BIG APPLE CIRCUS

Big Apple Circus!

Pretty Lighting

Clown

Cotton Candy - Yum!

Fun!

Wow!

Pretty Costume

Colorful!

Up in the air

Horseback riding!

Saying hello

What a treat

Such strength and balance!

WOW!

Amazing!

Can U do that?

TADA!

JUMP!

Air tricks

GLEE!

Don't Drop Him!

Cute dog!

Dogs Can Balance, Too

High five!

NYFAC Staff Member, Molly, takes aim

Yay!

Success!

Fun!

What a great show!

Bye!

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