Celebrating 73Years of Excellence
E-Journal October 2023
Mission Statement The mission of United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island is to Advance the Independence, Productivity, and Full Citizenship of People with Cerebral Palsy and Other Disabilities. Did You Know UCP of Long Island… •
Serves children and adults with disabilities
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Provides valuable services to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
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Spends 92 cents of every dollar on programs and services
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Serves over 225+ adults and children in 31 beautiful residential homes; 2 of which are homes for children
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Provides employment-related services, such as career assessment, counseling, job placement, so a person with a disability can become employed and independent.
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Is at the forefront of providing Early Intervention, Pre-school and School Age education programs. The Children’s Center provides an array of therapeutic services to promote the development of a child with a disability.
2023 E-Journal
Don Trudeau
2023 E-Journal
A Message from… Thomas Pfundstein Chair of the Board of Directors Thank you for supporting the 2023 Life Without Limits Gala. UCP of Long Island has been an extension of my family for the past 19 years. My son, Joseph, began his journey at The Children’s Center of UCP-LI. Each day he received the personalized services that best met his needs. These programs combined with the Center’s compassionate staff enables each child to thrive. My son has flourished as a result of the outpouring of love, support and encouragement that the staff at The Children’s Center has provided. This past June, Joseph graduated the Children’s Center and now attends their Adult Day Program. The Adult Day Programs continues to build upon the foundation that Joseph has been a part of for almost 20 years. 2023 marks UCP’s 73rd year as a provider of services to people with disabilities. I encourage you to visit UCP’s website, to learn more about our programs and services, www.ucp-li.org. Joseph has a chance to live a Life Without Limits thanks to UCP of Long Island. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors of UCP-LI thank you to all of our supporters for embracing the wonderful programs and services offered by UCP-LI. Please also allow me to thank my fellow Board Members for their tireless commitment. Finally THANK YOU for joining us this evening. You have played a significant part in helping to create a Life Without Limits for people with disabilities and we are so grateful. THANK YOU for being part of our family for 73+ years.
A Message from… Colleen Crispino President & CEO I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your tireless support of the work we do every day at UCP-LI. You truly help us support children and adults with disabilities to pursue a Life Without Limits.
During my time with this amazing organization, I have come to realize two profound things about UCP-LI. First, the services we provide are vitally important and are more critical now than ever before. Second, our staff are incredibly resilient and committed to UCP-LI’s mission. The children and adults with disabilities we serve have goals and dreams and rely on our services to live their best life. Your generosity today helps us to enhance the services we provide and positions us to face the challenges ahead of us. Please visit our website, www.ucp-li.org, to make a donation to help us reach our goal. Stay connected to UCP by following our social media pages and see all the reasons you should be extremely proud to be a supporter of UCP-LI. Our warmest thanks to all of our 2023 Life Without Limits sponsors. A very special thank you to our major sponsors: Catholic Health Services, Good Samaritan Hospital, Coastline Wealth Mgmt., Corporate Synergies, Dime Community Bank, EPIC Brokers, Farrell Fritz PC, Flagstar Bank NA, Jovia Financial Credit Union, Medford Chemists, Moritt Hock & Hamroff, LLP, M&T Bank, Professional Group Plans and Rivkin Radler. Lastly, thank you to our Gala planning committee, for their dedication and for working tirelessly on our behalf. On behalf of everyone at UCP, thank you!
2023 LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS Gala Committee Committee Chair Patricia Tutiven, M&T Bank* Dr. Erica Beauplan, Northwell Health Northern Westchester Hospital* Javier Evans, Webster Bank* Kristin Frost, UCP-LI Volunteer Justin Jaycon, CHSLI Good Samaritan Hospital Kathy Knott, UCP-LI Parent Lawrence Levy, National Center of Suburban Studies, Hofstra University* Daniel Liberty, Webster Bank Steve Louro, Professional Group Plans (Honorary)*
Kevin Patterson, M&T Bank Thomas Pfundstein, Dime Community Bank** Richard Tavarez, Jovia Financial Credit Union* Sean Umhafer, Webster Bank *UCP-LI Board Member
**UCP-LI Board Chair
United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island Colleen Crispino, President & CEO Camille Schramm, Director of Development & Public Relations Karen Puritano, Assistant Director of Development Courtney Scully, Development Manager/Special Events Stephanie Kantor Community Relations Specialist
United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island Board of Directors Thomas Pfundstein — Board Chair Robert Bernard — Vice Chair, Audit & Compensation Javier Evans —Vice Chair, Membership & Development Thomas Lowenberg, CPA — Vice Chair, Budget & Finance/Treasurer Kim M. Smith, Esq. — Recording Secretary & Vice Chair, Policy & Compliance Directors Dr. Erica Beauplan Sabrina Bivona Andrew F. Corrado Patrick Egan Edward Levine Lawrence C. Levy Stephen M. Louro James J. Manseau Richard Tavarez Patricia Tutiven
2023 Life Without Limits Honoree Don Trudeau, President
Benistar is a one-stop solution for your Group Retiree Health Benefit Plans. We create customized medical and prescription benefit packages for your group’s retirees. We also offer consulting and plan administration services to manage your plan and customer support for existing members. We are your one complete source for Group Retiree Health Benefits! Benistar Admin Services, Inc. (BASI) is a nationally licensed Third Party Administrator (TPA) operating in the group retiree medical and prescription drug benefits sector. By working in a consulting and administrative role on behalf of our broker and consultant partners, we provide retiree medical and prescription drug solutions for companies and organizations nationwide.
Through our focus on partnership and solution-building, we have been able to develop and administer retiree health plans for more than 1,500 plan sponsors throughout the U.S. and we administer more than $300 million in premiums annually. BASI believes that a workforce of tenured experts who take pride in their work results in the best possible service for clients. For this reason, BASI is 100% employee-owned via an Employee Stock Ownership Program that further incentivized employees to provide a superior level of service as they take personal ownership of their responsibilities. Additionally, BASI is WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise) certified, as well as earning an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. UCP-LI is thrilled to be honoring Don alongside Benistar, as he has been an ardent supporter for many years. Don has been selected as UCP-LI’s 2023 Life Without Limits honoree for his generosity and on-going commitment to individuals with disabilities.
Very special thanks To our 2023 Life Without Limits Gala Sponsors Pioneer for Change
Don Trudeau, Benistar DIGNITY SPONSOR M&T Bank Corporate Volunteer Coastline Wealth Management EMPOWERMENT SPONSOR Flagstar Bank, N.A. Medford Chemists
Professional Group Plans Webster Bank ADVOCATE SPONSOR Catholic Health Services, Good Samaritan Hospital Corporate Synergies Group, LLC Dime Community Bank EPIC Brokers
Farrell Fritz, P.C. Jovia Financial Credit Union Moritt Hock & Hamroff, LLP Rivkin Radler Zwanger Pesiri Radiology
Join us for this very special event….
2023 E-Journal
Integrity Sponsor
Corporate Volunteer Recipient
Empowerment Sponsor
Empowerment Sponsor
Empowerment Sponsor
Empowerment Sponsor
In appreciation of the Staff, Leadership and Board of UCP-LI for their tireless work and
dedication to our mission for the past 73 years. Thank you for providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities to pursue a LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS
With Gratitude,
Compliments of Mr. & Mrs.
Lawrence Levy
Compliments of Mr. & Mrs.
Robert Bernard
UCP Of Long Island extends our warmest thanks to our friends at Tanteo Tequila
In Appreciation for all that you do to care for our loved ones
Compliments of the Culkin Family
UCP-LI’s Life Without Limits Gala & The Arts UCP’s annual LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS Gala is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the many talents of the individuals in UCP’s Adult Day Programs.
Artwork by the individuals in our programs is everywhere at our Gala, beginning with the invitation and ending with the miniature hand-painted canvas’ that are for sale this evening.
Individuals in UCP’s Brushstrokes Program and in all of our Day Programs look forward to the opportunity to share their artistic accomplishments and enjoy making a sale!
Every year we share their artwork at UCP-LI Special Events. We are also sharing their beautiful paintings here in our E-Journal.
If you are interested in purchasing a painting, please give us a call: 631-232-0015 Thank you to the men and women in UCP’s Adult Day Programs for making our world a more beautiful place!
Sue K. | “Field of Bonnets” Sue likes attending our day program where she enjoys painting and socializing with her friends and peers. Some of her favorite tings to paint are dragons and she enjoys learning about the state of Texas. She likes taking walks and going out in the community where she has an opportunity to learn about different people and places. Some of her favorite places to go are museums and Sue loves to shop. She also likes going out to lunch and learning new things. Sue’s painting “Fields of Bonnets” was the inspiration for our 2023 Life Without Limits Gala Invitation cover...
Michelle S. | “Winter’s Dream” Michelle is a woman who enjoys music and musicals. She saw wicked and plans to see more in the future. Michelle is also an avid painter in the “Brushstrokes” Art Program. Painting leaves her relaxed and is her favorite activity. She loves painting flowers, landscapes and animals.
John R. | “Roman Bath” John has been painting since his early childhood. As a result of joining the “Brushstrokes” Program at UCP of Long Island, he paints more frequently. John has a passion for architecture, as seen in his paintings of houses, buildings, and lighthouses. He is a very active member of “The Sensations” and our Citizens First Self-Advocacy Group.
Chris G. | “Splashes of Hope” Chris enjoys many of the available activities at UCP of Long Island. One activity he particularly enjoys is painting and arts and crafts. Recently, Chris has become quite the artists and designer of many creations. He has worked on many different projects using canvas, glass, and wood for his work. He also ejogs helping with delivering mail and helping in the graphic design club. One of his many passions is to be able to preform in the community and he is very excited about that!
Brian G. | “Gone with the Windmill” Brian began attending the “Brushstrokes” Art Program in the spring of 2019. A few years ago, he started painting Disney paintings for his niece, an activity he enjoyed. Since participating in “Brushstrokes”, he has branched out and started painting landscapes. Brian finds painting with his friends relaxing and was very excited to sell his first piece in 2020. He is now purchasing his own material and experimenting more and more with different styles of painting, though he still prefers landscapes.
Vicky V. | “Dawn” Vicky has been painting for many years. She enjoys painting flowers and various sceneries of the outdoors. She likes using all different kinds of colors and textures. Her favorite item to paint on is a canvas portrait. She also enjoys music and spends much of her time painting to the background music of her choice.
Michal C.| “Wine Anyone” Michal has been painting for over three years. Michal enjoys painting all types of landscapes. He finds painting to be relaxing and therapeutic. The medium he loves to work with is acrylics. He normally draws his inspiration by painting places he would love to visit.
Guy G. | “The Calm Before the Storm” Guy has been a UCP of Long Island resident for more than 15 years. He has been painting for the last 10 years. Guy says that he finds painting to be very therapeutic. He enjoys painting with watercolors and we look forward to seeing where his inspiration for painting takes him.
Coming in 2024……...
Thank you for supporting UCP of Long Island in 2023 UCP has always been a family: we’re a community that includes the individuals we support, our staff, board, and you – our donors. Together, we do something extraordinary...we help people with disabilities live a Life Without Limits. Your support is extra-meaningful this year, And we hope you’ll stay in touch in the coming months: •
Please attend our events •
Visit our website •
Volunteer
Learn about employing a person with a disability
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Inquire about when you might come for a tour and… Please continue to donate www.ucp-li.org
We’ve always been a family. We need you now and we will need you tomorrow. But most important, we thank you.
We wish you good health – and we can’t wait to see you at our 2024 Life Without Limits Gala!
UCP of Long Island 250 Marcus Boulevard Hauppauge, NY 11788