START A RIPPLE
Frost Valley Life Spreading Values for All | 2017 SUMMER REVIEW FROST VALLEY YMCA
| frostvalley.org
SPREADING VALUES FOR ALL FROM THE DESK OF JERRY HUNCOSKY CEO | Frost Valley YMCA During summer 2017, we welcomed more overnight and day campers than ever before – over 4,000 children. Some burst into our dining hall filled with excitement, while others arrived unsure of this remote place without cell service, but all of our campers left us with newfound appreciation for the world and people around them. As you’ll read within this issue, Frost Valley’s reach is not only growing in numbers, but it’s also increasingly diverse and widespread. What happens during those campers’ stay here is just as remarkable as what happens after they’ve gone home. They bring the core values they gained here back into their schools, sports teams, religious communities, and neighborhoods, creating a ripple effect that has the potential to span the globe. Our humble beginnings – seven Christian boys on a camping trip at Orange Lake in 1885 – have evolved into a thriving camp community comprising a variety of ethnicities, genders, faiths, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographic origins. This summer our campers came from 27 states and 16 countries. Thanks to our kind and caring donors, 20% of them received financial aid, allowing more campers to have an experience that will serve them throughout their lives.
Camp, for students arriving on an overnight field trip as early as Labor Day Weekend, and for more than 35,000 individuals who will join us over the next ten months. Every ripple starts with the drop of a pebble. The immeasurable effect a Frost Valley experience has on our campers, students, and guests is only possible through the support of hundreds of generous individuals in our donor community. From Project 332 and I ª Frost Valley donors, to members of the Neversink Society who have included us in their estate planning, to anonymous donors who quietly commit to keeping the Frost Valley spirit alive in new and progressive ways – the spreading of our work is only possible thanks to the dedication of people like you. From all of us here in the Valley, thank you for appreciating and supporting the far-reaching effect that a Frost Valley experience has on children and families.
Jerry Huncosky
With this picture in mind, you can begin to imagine how the Frost Valley mission and values will spread across various communities over the next school year. But here on camp, when we say goodbye to the last campers and counselors, a humbling transformation happens next. Within minutes of the last camper being picked up, our staff begins the monumental task of turning over our 5,500-acre property to welcome families for our Summer Family
View our Annual Report! Visit www.frostvalley.org/annualreport Or email development@frostvalley.org to request a hard copy!
SPRING/SUMMER 2017 April POLLINATOR PATCH GRANT Frost Valley receives a grant from Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program to plant a pollinator patch as the 2017 Farm Leaders Project. Our summer Farm Leaders (the farm’s CiTs) planted pollinator flowers to help preserve and increase local bee populations, which are necessary for fruit and vegetable production.
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April 18 ROADSIDE CLEANUP Frost Valley’s staff traverse 16 miles of road as well as all main camp program areas for our annual “Roadside Cleanup.” During this volunteer event, dozens of staff roll up their sleeves to pick up litter that has accumulated over the winter and was hiding under the snow.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
THE LOSS OF A DEAR FRIEND
CHAIRMAN Robert B. Haines, Esq.
REMEMBERING HELEN MUELLER GEYER We are saddened to share with you the Frost Valley community has lost our long-time friend Helen Geyer (1918-2017), a leader in creating a more inclusive, progressive Frost Valley. Helen served as the first woman on our Board of Trustees, beginning her service when girls began attending summer camp here in 1962. Helen generously supported the transformation of Geyer Hall, the former girls’ dining hall, into a magnificent building overlooking the lake that today serves as a state-of-the-art conference center during the school year and home base for our day campers in the summer. Helen dedicated the building with us in April 2007, a day filled with excitement and anticipation, as we knew her generosity would allow more individuals to benefit from Frost Valley in new ways.
appearing in a Hollywood movie with Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth, television, magazine covers, advertisements, and billboards. During World War II, Helen lifted spirits as the Red Cross Poster Girl. She also appeared on The Saturday Evening Post USO cover by Norman Rockwell. In 1944, Helen married William “Bill” Geyer (1919-2004), a Chicago Bears football player, Colgate University Hall Of Famer, and avid hunter whose trophy mounts hang in Geyer Hall. After marriage, Helen became an active volunteer and board member at Montclair Art Museum, Garden Club, the YMCA of Montclair, and Presby Iris Gardens of Montclair. She also served on the National Committee for the YMCA working to promote women and girls within the Y. Helen always said that her family was a “YMCA Family.” However, we have long considered Helen a member of our family - one that we will dearly miss.
Growing up in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Helen was an accomplished model and film actress
April 21
July 2
VOLUNTEER WORK WEEKEND
SUMMER CAMP BEGINS!
To help us prepare for another two months of summer camp, nearly 20 alumni and volunteers arrive on camp to help implement our new “Little Libraries” that allow campers and guests to donate and borrow books. The volunteers also perform much needed work in our gardens and erect platform tents for our Adventure Village campers. Thank you to all who volunteered their time and talent!
During summer 2017, we welcome nearly 3,200 overnight campers and 1,000 day campers, making this a groundbreaking summer; by the end of 2017 we will have served more children than any summer in our 100+ years in camping!
PRESIDENT James S. Vaughan CEO Jerry Huncosky VICE CHAIRMAN Catherine M. Harvey TREASURER John McCabe SECRETARY Jerold W. Dorfman, Esq. VICE PRESIDENTS William E. Baker Professor Al Filreis Robert Messick Dr. Judith L. Pasnik Peter E. Sundman TRUSTEES David B. Bieler John S. Butler, Esq. Dr. R. Mark Ghobrial Ted B. Hilton Dr. Frederick J. Kaskel Michael D. Ketcham Kate Lewis Amy F. Melican, Esq. John O’Brien Cheng Ong Barbara Spitz Professor Joshua A. Tucker Robin Wachenfeld Mary T. Wheeler ADVISORY COMMITTEE William H. Abbott Andrew Chapman H. Corbin Day Barton C. English Jeffrey S. Kaufman James Kellogg, Jr. Michael P. Lahue Thomas M. Moriarty Shigeko Woolfalk TRUSTEES EMERITI Thomas W. Berry Hunter Corbin Paul B. Guenther Dr. George J. Hill W. Thomas Margetts Gerald H. McGinley
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A FLIGHT THAT LASTED A LIFETIME
INTERNATIONAL CAMPERS EXPERIENCE KIDNEY CAMP In early July, three teenagers from Israel sat on a plane, anxious to land in New York. With their feet tapping on the floor and their fingers drumming on the armrest, their jitters were not about turbulence or landing, but rather what was waiting for them on the ground - two weeks at a traditional summer camp in the United States. Each of these teenagers had undergone a kidney transplant and was traveling with their transplant nurse from Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Israel. For them, the opportunity to both attend summer camp just as any other teen would while also receiving life-sustaining medical care was worth the long flight. The Israeli teenagers, Bar-Shalom, Aviv, and Stiven, are the first campers from outside the United States to participate in the program, the only one in the world that fully mainstreams kids with kidney disease into a regular camp environment. Children and teens in the Kidney Camp program benefit from the solace of nature and the carefree joys of summer camp activities alongside their peers. Supported by experienced staff, the encouragement of other campers, and their own courageous spirits, they conquered the Giant Swing, rowed boats across Lake Cole, scaled the climbing tower, made the tastiest s’mores, met new friends, and slept beneath a canopy of stars.
nature and among other campers, and most importantly without the stigma of being “sick.” This summer, Bar-Shalom, Aviv, and Stiven joined hundreds of other campers to experience the time of their lives. They shared cabins with new friends and role models, tried new foods, and participated in new adventures. In between their daily activities and fun, they received vital medical care under the supervision of volunteer pediatric nephrology doctors and hired nurses in our state-of-the-art Ruth Gottscho Dialysis Center. But medical differences did not change the magic they experienced at Frost Valley this summer. At the end of their two-week camp session, Bar, Aviv, and Stiven returned home with the same gifts every Frost Valley camper receives: confidence in themselves, new friends, and a lifetime of memories.
In 1975, Frost Valley partnered with the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore to make sure that every child received a camp experience, regardless of medical needs. The new program invited campers with chronic kidney disease to camp for a life-changing journey. This was the nation’s first camp to offer children with kidney disease a chance to experience traditional summer camp while receiving vital dialysis treatments and renal care. Due to its success, the program now extends beyond the United States. The three teenagers that joined us in July left their homes and country, and ventured to the Catskill Mountains to enjoy a summer amidst
SUMMER 2017 July 9
July 23
SMALL WORLD FAIR
SUMMER OLYMPIX
We celebrate the many cultures represented here as our international staff members share their traditions and customs during summer camp’s annual Small World Festival. The day concludes with another annual favorite – fireworks over Lake Cole in celebration of Independence Day. Another year of sportsmanship, teamwork, cultural exchange, and spirited cheers fill the Valley during summer camp’s annual Olympix event. Congratulations to Jamaica, this year’s Spirit Award winner! frostvalley.org | 3
TAKING FLIGHT IN THE VALLEY
SPRING BIRDING CONFERENCE The Catskills have a lot to offer. The area has an abundance of fresh air, beautiful landscapes, exciting wildlife, and so much more, which is why the Catskill Center in Arkville, NY works so hard to protect it. One of the ways the organization does this is by developing diverse programming in the arts and natural sciences to inspire interest and connection with the Catskill region, an undertaking that aligns well with Frost Valley’s mission and programming. The “Taking Flight: Birding in the Catskills” conference is one such program, and the center chose Frost Valley as the ideal setting to expose the rewards of birding in the Catskills to a wider audience. The Frost Valley property and trails were exactly what the center was hoping to find for the second annual event. The three-day conference, which took place on a brisk weekend in June, welcomed over 30 participants, and included an “owl prowl” that allowed participants to see a number of owls at dusk, multiple hikes, and a talk from Keynote speaker Brian “Fox” Ellis who engaged listeners in scientific inquiry, natural history, art appreciation, and ornithology. Throughout the weekend, 87 different species of birds were observed! “The Catskill Center has been a fixture of the Catskills for almost 50 years and has always respected the work that Frost Valley does for the local environment,” explained Michael Drillinger, Land Trust Manager at the Catskill Center. “It was only natural to team up and share our appreciation of nature with one another.”
July 30 CLARKE PARTNERSHIP During the third session of camp, we welcome our first-ever camper joining us through a new partnership with the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, a school for children with hearing loss. Through this partnership, an onsite certified teacher of the deaf from Clarke provided support so that all of Frost Valley’s signature programming could be fully experienced. We look forward to seeing this new partnership grow!
FAMILY TREES
A FAMILY CAMPER BRANCHES INTO CREATIVE WRITING The following piece was written by 2017 Family Camper, Luigi Nappi, during a creative writing program led by Sherry Sontag, a cherished Frost Valley volunteer, published author, and longtime Family Camper: I’m a tree at the YMCA FROST VALLEY camp. I’ve been here 80 years now, well before the YMCA. I remember all of it. I remember being a little thing and seeing the grass from below. I remember flowers towering over me and other plants bossing me. I had to be tough to survive. Sometimes winters were so cold I hardly survived. Sometimes people or animals stepped on me and eventually it took weeks before I got standing again. Time passed and I grew stronger, every year I got taller and larger. For a while, there was a man coming and talking to me and the other plants; I liked that. Later, birds and other animals started nesting on me; I liked that more. Most of them I loved, some of them had me as their house for several generations. I also loved a tree, a friend of mine. He was so glorious, so many times he helped me survive while I was about to give up. But unfortunately he got sick and no matter what I said to him he wouldn’t recover. One day, a man came with a saw and chopped him in a few hours. This man was the same man that used to talk to us. It’s interesting how people change, not like trees: we are more consistent. Anyway plants don’t really die, my friend became part of me. So eventually I grew stronger and more confident. I wasn’t sure at the beginning about what was going on, but later I understood. Many years have passed and now lots of kids are playing where my friend used to be, some of them I’ve seen growing from young children to aged people. The YMCA camp here at FROST VALLEY really helps them to grow stronger both in their body and in their mind. One of them comes to me from time to time and reads a story, then when he sleeps at my feet I talk to him in his dreams. I love him. He is now my new best friend. People are strange and sometimes dangerous, but friendship goes over all possible diversities and in all friendships some dose of braveness is always necessary.
August 6 BATTLE OF THE THEMES Every year during the third session, our campers and staff participate in “Battle of the Themes.” Last year, our campers voted for a Pokémon theme. Exotic and rare Pokémon were on the loose as friends competed to “catch them all!”
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A CELEBRATION OF IMPACT 2017 ANNUAL SUMMER MEETING
On a beautiful, sunny weekend in August, donors and staff volunteers gathered together at Frost Valley to celebrate their support and impact. Upon their arrival on Friday evening, everyone gathered at Blue Hill Lodge in Claryville, NY for a “Welcome Dinner” and to catch up with one another. Our Annual Summer Meeting took place the following Saturday morning, August 19th. The day began with a warm welcome from Board President, James Vaughan, followed by our CEO, Jerry Huncosky giving attendees an inspiring State of Camp address, which included an update on the facility renovations that are underway across camp. The program proceeded with two moving testimonials from a CiT and a Mustang Village Camper. Sophie Antizzo and Misty Avinger shared the impact that Frost Valley has had on their lives. Sophie made lifelong friendships, both in cabin mates as well as in the horses. Misty accomplished many triumphs in her academic career due to the confidence and character that she gained during her time at Frost Valley. The morning rounded out with inductions into the YMCA of the USA Honor Roll, which celebrates individuals who have helped advance the mission of the Y through cumulative, lifetime contributions of $100,000 or more. We were honored to announce the inductions of David Bieler and Nancy Bishaha, John O’Brien, and Stephen and Diane Roehm. Before a convivial, farm-fresh lunch, Frost Valley awarded James Vaughan with the Eric Blum Volunteer of the Year award. After the meal, Hunter Corbin, Robert Haines, and Chuck and Joy White were all inducted into the Frost Valley Hall of Fame, a tradition of recognizing the outstanding individuals who have been instrumental in service and leadership of our organization. The program concluded with Board Vice President, Professor Al Filreis, inviting campers and donors up to the podium to sing “Old Wawayanda” with the rest of the guests. The day closed with tours of camp, including the new cabins and the new road.
Right to Left: Sophie Antizzo, Mustang Village Camper Misty Avinger, Counselor in Training
Al Filreis leads everyone in singing “Old Wawayanda,” with vocal and instrumentals by alumni and campers to accompany him.
SUMMER 2017 August 19
August 20
SUMMER MEETING
HIRDSTOCK Another Frost Valley tradition continues! Hirdstock, a camp-wide music festival and talent show, is once again a huge hit with plenty of singers, dancers, musicians, and more!
We host our Annual Summer Meeting and Luncheon with over 100 donors, trustees, close friends, family, and volunteers in attendance to celebrate the impact our supporters have on all that we do. Read more about the event above! frostvalley.org | 5
2017 ERIC BLUM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR JAMES S. VAUGHAN - With his characteristic mix of drive and humor, decisiveness and self-effacement, Jim Vaughan, President of Frost Valley’s Board of Trustees, is the ideal volunteer. He devotes great measures of his time, resources, and attention to Frost Valley, and we suspect that a day doesn’t pass when Jim isn’t enthusing to others about our program, reaching out to prospective friends and collaborators, or encouraging trustees’ increased engagement. Our Volunteer of the Year for 2017 aptly is awarded to Frost Valley’s lead volunteer. In his youth, Jim attended YMCA Camp Manito-wish in the wilderness of northern Wisconsin. He never forgot the powerful lessons he learned there—nor, over time, has he felt any lessening of the Y’s impact on him as a person. When he moved to New York City, to join Cain Brothers, he quickly sensed that a life of business in the city would in itself leave him feeling incomplete. What was missing? He called the YMCA of the USA office in Chicago, and asked what he could do to pass forward his Manito-wish experience. The Y office gave him names of a few camps in his area. Fortunately for us, Frost Valley was among them. Jim spent an autumn weekend here, learning about Frost Valley’s mission and values. Soon after that fall visit he joined the Frost Valley Board. “I had been feeling like a slug in New York, not doing anything that was giving or good,” he has said. Now there would be good to be done aplenty. Jim is explicit about what makes volunteering on behalf of Frost Valley so gratifying. The sheer joy of helping others, helping children gain independence, helping families come together, and helping to remove barriers that inhibit social equality. “Frost Valley could not be more effective,” Jim recently said, “in creating good people, good citizens, great families, and myriad opportunities for the development of good character in children.”
2017 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES HUNTER W. CORBIN - If you ask Hunter Corbin what captivated him about Frost Valley, he would give you a number of reasons, including diversity (both in staff and guests), a commitment to helping the staff grow as people and leaders, and to ensuring guests leave feeling more confident and accomplished than when they came. Hunter was an ideal trustee, as he is a man whose generosity, diligent spirit and tenacious work ethic has left an eternal impact on Frost Valley. Hunter was first introduced to Frost Valley through his place of business, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, a non-profit organization that has often supported Frost Valley through grants. After a 25-year career as Vice President and President, Hunter retired in 2009, but he maintains an active volunteer role on the Foundation’s board. Hunter had a personal connection to Frost Valley as well. Corbin Day, Hunter’s cousin, was a trustee and knew that his likeminded spirit and expertise would allow him to make an immense impact. In 1996, Hunter came to Frost Valley with a background in finance and had experience raising money for other organizations. When the idea of a capital campaign was discussed, he joined board members Paul Guenther and R. Fenn Putman and served as Vice Chair of the Build Strong Capital Campaign Committee. He was a driving force in the success of Frost Valley’s first capital campaign. Fast-forward 20 years, and Hunter has left a significant mark on Frost Valley, even having a road named after him, Hunter Lane. Although Hunter left the board in 2008, he played a role behind the scenes for numerous years as a development consultant. If you ask Hunter what makes Frost Valley so special, he will tell you that Frost Valley is not necessarily unique in what it does, but rather, it is unique in how it’s done. And that is why he gave that same dedication and commitment while serving on the Board of Trustees for 12 years and in his ceaseless support to Frost Valley ever since. For those reasons, we are honored to have inducted Hunter Corbin into the Frost Valley YMCA Hall of Fame.
August 25 PROJECT 332 RECAP
As summer camp ends, we also wrap up Project 332, Frost Valley’s beloved effort to bring over 332 children to camp. This summer, our generous donors provided enough funding to send nearly 600 children to camp who otherwise would not have the opportunity. Thank you to all who joined Project 332 in support of providing children with a lifetime of values!
August 27
September 1
SUMMER FAMILY CAMP
SCHOOL TRIPS BEGIN
Over 400 guests join us for our annual Summer Family Camp, six days of bonding with loved ones, enjoying traditional camp activities, and making memories to last a lifetime.
Our first students of the season arrive for a day-long field trip to kick off their school year. MESA Charter School from Brooklyn, NY has been attending Frost Valley since the school’s inception five years ago, and ever since they have begun each school year with a trip to Frost Valley that prepares them for the year ahead! frostvalley.org | 6
2017 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES (cont’d) ROBERT B. HAINES, ESQ. - What Bob Haines was most impressed with when he first visited Frost Valley was the high ethical and intellectual quality of the other board members. Yet, paradoxically, these qualities of his are precisely why his colleagues unanimously voted to induct Bob into our Hall of Fame: his selfless spirit of giving, combined with his rigorous sense of good self-governance and of balances and procedural checks; his belief in carefully written standards and regular order; and his notion that he personally succeeds as a board member only inasmuch as the entire group collaboratively succeeds—have been fundamental drivers toward the remarkable success of Frost Valley YMCA as a duly constituted, values-driven organization. Jerome Wolf, an original trustee of Frost Valley and a legendary Y leader, knew Bob Haines would be a great addition to the community. In the midst of a successful, busy legal career as a partner at Herold & Haines in Warren, New Jersey, Bob joined the Frost Valley Board in 1997. Since that time, he has contributed hundreds of hours of legal and other counsel. He has opined on the wisdom or foolishness of land sales, proposals for annexations, rights deals, outsourcing, loan partners, and investments in new programs. “Bob’s sage wisdom,” Jerry Huncosky recently said, “is called upon often—to affirm that our plans are logical, legal, and sustainable.” Bob also led the initiative to modernize the trustees’ bylaws. And for years he led the Committee on Trustees, with its chief mission of positive self-governance—a special hallmark of Bob’s interest and talent. From the moment he became a trustee, Bob advocated for the centrality of endowment and planned giving. The success of the Neversink Society is largely owing to Bob’s efforts. He led the board’s endowment subcommittee, and we saw that fund pass the $10 million mark a few years ago. The appeal for further endowment gifts goes out under his name. For his decades of leadership as a trustee of Frost Valley and for his selfless contribution of hours upon hours of wise counsel, in calm and in crisis, we proudly inducted Bob Haines into The Frost Valley YMCA Hall of Fame.
CHARLES “CHUCK” & JOY WHITE - The lasting legacy of Chuck and Joy White has left an impression on several generations of Frost Valley people, many of whom think of the Whites as second parents and recall their life and work in vocabularies of heart, of awe, of faith. To be sure, one can encounter them memorialized at Chuck White Pond and in the Joy White Treatment Room. Chuck’s brilliant effects can always be found in Margetts Lodge, the dialysis center added to the back of Smith Lodge in a matter of months in 1975, the replacement dining hall, the urgent Winter 1983 expansion of what is now Geyer Hall, and the first cabin-lodges—projects for which he served as co-designer, planner, financial advisor, and general contractor. But these are the mere outward appearances of their two decades of work, and hardly bespeak the revolution of values they both eloquently articulated and demonstrated. They arrived at Frost Valley during late summer 1973 with their four children. In Willingboro, New Jersey, Chuck had voluntarily performed his Master Builder miracles on the construction of an integrated public playground, when John Giannotti, working alongside Chuck on the project, saw that the combination of generosity, genius, and progressive values made him and his family perfect for Frost Valley. John learned that camp needed a full-time assistant repairperson and a nurse; he urged the Whites to go, and they did. The family made Frost Valley home for nearly twenty years. Elizabeth, Rebecca, David, and Sylvia—a distinctly adventurous foursome of kids—grew up in the valley. Chuck soon rose from assistant to director of all new building projects. Joy went from part-time kitchen aid and summer-only nurse to major advisor on the Wellness Project and go-to advocate for women’s wellness and healthy self-education and awareness. Chuck could fix anything and could lucidly describe everything. Joy could seemingly heal any ailment and could teach you to listen to yourself until you could talk your own way to a better place. Chuck converted our trails in winter from the noisy, smoky, environmentally unfriendly terrain of snowmobiles to a network of beautiful, healthful cross-country ski trails. Joy presided over the great shift from “Infirmary” to “Wellness Center”—to prevention, education, fitness, self-examination, healthy diet, and ample rest for the staff. “Mandatory Rest Hour,” which now receives standing ovations when announced, was deemed a radical imposition when Joy first advocated it! Chuck and Joy have been inducted into the Frost Valley Hall of Fame along with the indelible images we have of their kindness and devotion.
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NEW ROAD
Y-TOWER GETS A FACE LIFT
In January, our maintenance team cleared an area for a new road that eliminates our second entrance. This road was completed in June, improving the security of our campers, staff, and guests by providing cars with only one point of entry to camp.
Our beloved Y-Tower has a brighter hue! Our hardworking maintenance crew recently re-painted the Y-Tower, which serves both as a climbing wall and zip-line to foster confidence, courage, and grit.
NEW ROAD SIGNS The roads that make up Frost Valley have officially been named to reflect our eight core values, as well as other character traits. These new street names are now registered with the town, the county, and the state. You will soon find Community Lane, Respect Way and all the others on your GPS or Google maps!
NEW BATHHOUSE After months of building, and thanks to support from the YMCA of the USA’s Strategic Initiatives Fund and our generous donors, our new bathhouse is open! Located across from the Bud Cox Trip Center, the new bathhouse makes camp life more manageable for Adventure campers and guests alike.
UP NEXT! Upon completion of the fundraising campaign, cabins 1-5 will be built across from Hussey Lodge. To contribute to the Building Stronger! Cabin Campaign email Alison Buxton at abuxton@frostvalley.org
WORK BEGINS ON NEW CABINS
Trips Villa Open Summer 2018
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By the start of summer camp, Observatory construction began on ten new cabins that are currently being developed to replace cabins 41-50, which were built over 50 years ago. The new cabins, made possible through generous donor support, will be ready for summer camp 2018 and will be available for four-season use.
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THE LEARNING CONTINUES
FROST VALLEY’S PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SCHOOL ADDRESSES A COMMUNITY NEED Every child deserves the opportunity to join a program that can make a positive impact in his or her life. A national evaluation found that over 40% of students attending after-school programs improved their reading and math grades. According to the UCLA National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing, after-school programs have also been associated with reduced drug use and criminal behavior. With the understanding of the value of quality after-school care and the limited number of options in our community, Frost Valley’s leadership knew we could offer support to our neighbors. However, given our sizable distance from most families, we were concerned they wouldn’t be able to get their children to and from the program each day. Therefore, we partnered with our local school, Tri-Valley Central School, and in the spring of 2016 began offering a school-age child care program, designed to provide parents with the assurance that their children will spend after-school time in a safe and supportive environment. “Our program provides quality programming and allows parents to complete their workday without the stress of wondering, ‘Who will watch my kids?’” Katia Martin, Director of Community Programs explained.
Open to students in pre-K through sixth grade, children who participate in the program, which takes place at Tri-Valley Elementary School in Grahamsville, enjoy a healthy snack; time for homework or reading; age-specific indoor and outdoor activities; and structured programs such as physical activities, crafts, and more. Corey Murphy, a local mother whose children, Max and Mia, are enrolled in the program explained, “With qualified staff working in the program, I know that my children can have a concept retaught as needed while completing homework, as well as being challenged. My son often comes home with excitement showing me that someone showed him how to do an advanced math problem!” Frost Valley has always been committed to fostering youth development and bringing families together, through the exploration of nature and our eight core values. The after-school program is another way that we are able to do that, specifically for our local community. “As a working family, it is wonderful to have homework completed by the time I pick up my children from the program. It enables us to spend more time with our children, hearing about their day, exploring on our own and snuggling up with a good book in the evenings,” Corey explained.
FROST VALLEY REMEMBERS MITCHELL BROCK CHAMPION OF OUR MISSION AND VALUES
With a heavy heart, we mourn the loss of former trustee, Mitchell Brock. At a young age, Mitchell embodied the values of Frost Valley YMCA, having won a prize for "cheerfulness, amiability, and responsiveness" as a schoolboy. Aside from serving on the Frost Valley Board of Trustees, Mitchell - a Navy veteran served on the board of the American Foundation for the Blind and Helen Keller International as well as the Neversink Association. During retirement, Mitchell and his beloved wife of 64 years, Goia Chadwick Connell (1929-2016), split their time between Boca Grande, FL, and here in Claryville, NY. Mitchell was an expert fly fisherman and regularly enjoyed fishing in the Neversink River. We are forever grateful for Mitchell's many contributions to Frost Valley.
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JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED A DAY OF CAMARADERIE, REST & RELAXATION A group of men and women stood in a circle on the lawn outside the Frost Valley Castle, holding one another’s hands and expressing what they were thankful for. Among the group, one woman stood next to her spouse and began to cry. Through her tears, she shared with the group that she was thankful for the opportunity to finally meet people who knew what it was like to walk in her shoes. From the empathetic looks on their faces and the tears rolling down their cheeks, the other participants clearly felt the same way. Caring for a loved one whose health is declining is a painful, arduous task. While supporting someone you love can be rewarding, it can also be stressful and oftentimes heart wrenching to watch someone decline. In 2011, the Caregiver Resource Center of Sullivan County, a co-partnership of Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Office for the Aging in Sullivan County, created the Caregiver Wellness Retreat, a special day dedicated to family members who support loved ones with Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Although providing knowledge and resources is important, the program administrators knew offering the opportunity to relax and recharge with a wellness retreat focused solely on them was just as crucial. After holding the first retreat at a public park, Bonnie Lewis, RN and dependent care educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension, realized, “We needed a location close to Sullivan County where we would have the latitude to be creative, as well as have access to a top notch facility.” June 2017 was the sixth year the Annual Caregiver Wellness Retreat was held at Frost Valley. Each year, the retreat begins with an opening ceremony, reminding the participants that the day is for them, a rare occurrence for families in their situation. Throughout the day, caregivers and volunteers enjoy volunteer-led
activities such as music therapy, massages, art exploration, a traditional campfire with s’mores, and a visit to Frost Valley’s nature room. Teens from a local 4-H Club volunteered for the day, including Rebecca Coombe who brought her bunny to participate in pet therapy, while others assisted with therapeutic coloring and felting. The caregivers benefit from a day of self-care and the time to relax and unwind, which is so vital because witnessing a loved one drift away can be extremely stressful and emotionally demanding. Over the years, the retreat continues to evolve and expand, with attendance and support increasing. The success of the retreat, made possible in part through the Alzheimer’s Association, has led to other counties in the area holding retreats as well. Bonnie is proud “other counties are benefiting from what we are creating here at Frost Valley and in Sullivan County.” Caregivers and their loved ones leave the retreat better than when they came. The activities they participate in and the camaraderie that surrounds them at Frost Valley give them inspiration to persevere. When leaving the retreat, an 80 year-old couple, Betty and Henry, sat on the bus heading home, talking about their day. Bonnie said it looked as if they were two cabin mates comparing notes on all they had done at summer camp. The retreat put a twinkle back in their eyes, and that is exactly what Bonnie was hoping for when planning it. Witnessing moments like this is Bonnie’s reward. “When I have my nurse hat on, I leave work, go home, and I am done. Families caring for someone with Alzheimer’s do not have that luxury,” Bonnie explained. “Sometimes, all you need is a shoulder to lean on, and that’s what we are doing with the retreat. We are giving them a shoulder.”
UPCOMING EVENTS HALLOWEEN WEEKENDS October 13-15, 2017 October 20-22, 2017 October 27-29, 2017 With costume parades, pumpkin painting, mask making, and apple cidering, Halloween has never been so eerily exciting! When the sun goes down, we have something for guests of all ages.
FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS December 1-3, 2017 This festive weekend will give your holiday spirit a head start, allowing you to enjoy the true meaning of the season all winter long!
HOLIDAY FAMILY CAMP December 27, 2017 January 1, 2018 Spend quality time with your family in our Catskill Mountain winter wonderland. On New Year’s Eve, join us in the Dining Hall for an exciting party including our very own ball drop!
VISIT ANY WEEKEND
September 1, 2017 June 15, 2018 Your family and loved ones are invited to join us nearly every weekend during the school year for an enriching, and memorable weekend retreat during any weekend that fits your schedule. We can’t wait to see you and your family here in the Valley! frostvalley.org | 10
FROST VALLEY YMCA 2000 Frost Valley Road Claryville, NY 12725
TEL (845) 985-2291 EMAIL info@frostvalley.org WEB frostvalley.org/donate facebook.com/frostvalleyymca
A GIFT FOR THE GREATER GOOD
FROST VALLEY RECEIVES GRANTS TO SUPPORT OUR ANNUAL AUTISM WEEKENDS Families visit Frost Valley from all walks of life. Our weekends have always been accessible to guests and children of all ages, from all over the world, and with a diverse range of abilities. However, several years ago, we observed that the needs of individuals with autism could be better met during a weekend just for them and their families. Autism Family Support Weekends are offered twice a year and provide families the opportunity for friendship, support and networking, as well as time to relax, play, and forget for a few days the pressures of daily life. We have found, time and time again, that programs such as this not only create a welcoming and supportive environment
for families affected by Autism, but they also broaden the worldview of families and individuals who may not have much interaction with people of varying abilities and experiences. Frost Valley is not the only organization that feels this way, as we received two gifts to support this beneficial weekend. The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism presented Frost Valley with a generous grant in the amount of $4,422. In addition to the grant, CEO Jerry Huncosky accepted the “Sponsors’ Award for Advancing a Cause” in the amount of $2,500 from YMCA of the USA in February to support the weekend for it’s “outstanding work toward strengthening communities.”
Throughout these weekends, family members feel included and are surrounded by others who understand their experience, all while participating in activities that encourage guests to experience new adventures. “Everyone here is all about love, diversity, and acceptance. And we feel it,” said one past participant. We are grateful to offer the chance for families to watch their loved ones develop relationships and build confidence while trying new things or enjoying old favorites.
FROST VALLEY YMCA MISSION STATEMENT:
Frost Valley YMCA is a values-driven organization that fosters youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility through outdoor educational and recreational programs for all. Frost Valley YMCA is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. To help us give the gift of camp to children and families, please contact our Development Office at 845-985-2291 or email development@frostvalley.org. To donate online go to www.frostvalley.org/donate Let us know if you prefer to receive Frost Valley Life via an online link sent to your email address. Please email us your request to info@frostvalley.org.