20131202-NEWS--56-NAT-CCI-CL_--
11/15/2013
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GIVING IN ACTION Cleveland Sight Center
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here were no prenatal signs that anything was out of the ordinary when Jennifer and Jason Gromek were expecting their second child. But when Noah was born, a combination of urology issues and a condition called aniridia (or the absence of an iris) led to the eventual and startling diagnosis of WAGR syndrome. There are fewer than 300 known cases of WAGR — which stands for Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary anomalies and mental retardation syndrome. Its effects include a predisposition to kidney cancer, vision issues and sensory and developmental disorders. “It was overwhelming,” Mrs. Gromek said. “Jason and I were fumbling … you’d get beaten down very easily.” It took a couple of weeks for Mrs. Gromek “to work up the nerve,” but she eventually turned to the Cleveland Sight Center. “I went to the Sight Center not even knowing what to ask for,” she said. “It was like a hand had reached out and said, ‘I’ve got you.’” The Cleveland Sight Center provides a wide
range of supportive services for infants through adults, including an early intervention program, preschool and vocational training services. At 10 weeks old, Noah started attending the early intervention program at the Sight Center, which is located on East 101st Street near the main Cleveland Clinic campus. “There was this collaborative addressing of his needs,” Mrs. Gromek said of the services her son received, which included on-site physical and speech therapy. Now 3, Noah, who has low vision and is considered legally blind, is in the Sight Center’s preschool
Cleveland Foodbank
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lice Birovsek said she cried and felt embarrassed the first time she realized she needed to go to a food bank. But rising costs and a fixed income necessitated the move several years ago. Once she walked through the doors, however, volunteers and staff made her feel comfortable by reassuring her she was doing the right thing to care for herself, and that she would be OK. Ms. Birovsek said she decided then that she wanted to impart that generosity on others by becoming a volunteer at the Parma Heights Food Pantry. “Our clients are all so nice, and I feel like they’re helping me just as much as I’m helping them,” she said. “I had a client once come in before Thanksgiving and started crying to me because she needed a turkey for her family. I reassured her the way the volunteers did for me, and I think it made a difference.” Ms. Birovsek, a resident of a Parma Heights’ senior living center, has been both a client and a volunteer for nearly seven years, working three times a week at the food distribution center. She also picks up throughout the week food for distribution at area restaurants and grocers, including Olive Garden, 36
Chipotle, Pizza Hut, Auntie Anne’s and Acme. The trips using her own car no doubt are a sacrifice, even though the agency sometimes offers her use of a gas card. “(Many first-time visitors) are so grateful for the nutritious food and warm support of the people that help them that it’s not uncommon for current or former clients to take an interest in volunteering to show their gratitude,” said Kristin Warzocha, vice president of external affairs for the Cleveland Foodbank. According to the organization, more than 12,000 individuals volunteered 62,000 hours of service to the food bank and its six-county
program, and the plan is for him to attend a typical school for kindergarten. The Gromeks credit the Sight Center with playing a key role in “frontloading him with as many advantages as possible.” As a result of WAGR, Noah is consistently monitored for other complications of the syndrome. He has had respiratory issues, and he had to undergo a six-month protocol of chemotherapy after lesions were found on his kidneys. “He’s been through a lot,” Mrs. Gromek said. “The Sight Center has been that safety net.” The Gromek family, which also includes 5-year-old Emily, lives in Brecksville. Mr. Gromek works for a medical device company, while Mrs. Gomek works for Safeguard Properties, which inspects and maintains foreclosed properties for mortgage servicers, lenders and other financial institutions. As for Noah, Mrs. Gromek said he is thriving at the Sight Center, and he continues to make progress with speech, mobility and with his willingness to experience things from a sensory standpoint. And, his mom reports: “He’s the best giver of hugs.” — AMY ANN STOESSEL
member agencies, including the Parma Heights pantry. Those efforts save the agency from hiring 30 full-time staff and more than $1 million in salary and benefits, which it says it could not otherwise afford. The Foodbank offers a program that provides classes for member agencies on everything from safe food handling to how to run a food pantry, Ms. Warzocha said. Last year, the Cleveland Foodbank provided access to 40 million meals for more than 200,000 people. The efforts of volunteers such as Ms. Birovsek will be particularly crucial to the food bank’s mission, as cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as of Nov. 1 mean 1.8 million Ohio families received a reduction in food stamp benefits. This can mean a family of four will lose $36 a month. The program’s cuts in Ohio will total $193 million in one year. “To put this in perspective, the total value of the food distributed by all 12 food banks in Ohio was $223 million last year,” Ms. Warzocha said. “To fill the gap cause by these cuts alone, we’d almost have to double our distribution overnight.” — KATHY AMES CARR
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