Meet our New Director of Development

Sinergia is pleased to announce the addition of Mais Z. Jasser as Director of Development. Ms. Jasser adds to the multicultural staff composition of Sinergia.  She was born in Syria, raised in Lebanon and France and speaks Arabic and French. A recent transplant to New York via California, she has an M. A. in psychology and will be implementing behavioral intervention plans for consumers, as well as providing staff development to the residential habilitation staff. In California Ms. Jasser authored and implemented a clinical behavioral program (R-E-W-A-R-D) for youth designed to address their individual needs, particularly their need to learn positive healthy human behaviors. She has developed and taught classes at the college and university level in the disciplines of psychology, social sciences and humanities. A specialist in cross-cultural mediation, conflict resolution and crisis intervention, she has held the post of professor in psychology for the past twelve years. Her approach to the study of human behavior has focused on human diversity and cross-cultural issues. Ms. Jasser has also held administrative positions and is expert in organizational development. We proudly welcome Mais Z. Jasser to the Sinergia family.

Sonia Sotomayor Book Signing

Two staff members of Sinergia, Myrta Cuadra-Lash and Sandra Ruiz had the pleasure of attending the presentation and book signing of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the CUNY Hostos Community College on February 2, 2013. Reading excerpts from her book, My Beloved World, she spoke about her childhood growing up in a housing project in the Bronx and being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of eight. Her presentation was very touching and engaging. Many in the audience identified with her experiences and laughed and relished her stories, which gave a vivid portrait of life as a Puerto Rican child, her close bonds with her family, especially her “abuelita”, her love of community and transition into womanhood. It was very special to be part of the audience which embraced this unique woman who has become the first Puerto Rican to be appointed to the Supreme Court. The signed book will be placed in Sinergia’s library. Here's a review from the NY Times.

Sinergia bands together to help victims of Hurricane Sandy

Washington Roca is a staff member at Sinergia. He lives in the Rockaways with his family and lost his car and most of his possessions during the hurricane. The staff at Sinergia had a fund drive for victims of Hurricane Sandy, specifically Washington. Below is a letter he sent to us in response.

Sinergia Jumps into Action After Hurricane Sandy

The recent tumultuous arrival of Superstorm Sandy did more than just cause destruction and disruption to the lives of thousands of people throughout the Tri-State area. The storm also provided Sinergia with an opportunity to witness the depth of commitment that our staff possesses. While the Residential administrative team, Deputy Executive Director Michael Mitchell, Director of Residential Services Rebecca Maitin, Lead Residential Manager Rolando Aquino, Residential Manager Johanna Echeverria and On-Site Manager David Bryant kept the lines of communication open and reviewed the situation almost on an hour by hour basis with the Executive Director, the true “Everyday Heroes” were the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and their team leaders, who rose to the occasion and took on extended shifts and responsibilities without hesitation. Many of these folks worked round the clock to ensure the safety and well-being of the people with disabilities that we serve in the residential department.

The DSPs came to work on the Saturday and Sunday before Sandy struck knowing full well that it might be nearly impossible to get home that night or the next day with the impending shutdown of all New York City mass transit services. These DSPs, some of whom live in Queens and Brooklyn, left their homes not knowing when they might be able to return or what they would be returning to. Despite that gnawing concern, they also understood that the fragile population that we serve needed their help. Upon arriving at their assignments, these staff members realized they were in for the long haul. We are proud to say that they all performed magnificently under such very difficult circumstances and they did not allow Sandy to stand in the way of delivering quality services. Sinergia would like to recognize and thank the following staff members for their courageous and selfless commitment to the people that we serve:
            On site Residential Manager David Bryant
            Team Leader Argenis P
            Team Leader Ralph Espinal
            Team Leader Gwen Baez
            Team Leader Dawn Dixon
            Team Leader Mellissa Baez
            Direct Support Professionals:
            Paul Mandeg                                  
            Korey St Hill
            Lovelie Pierre
            Delouris Snell
            Iluminada Hilario
           Fabienne Perides
           Marilyn Quinones
           Vanessa Green
           Barbara Johnson
           Frank Curbelo

We also want to express our gratitude to those DSPs who left their homes and found what could only be described as “imaginative” ways to get their sites and relieve their colleagues who had been on call in some cases for 36 hours.
 
A very similar sense of commitment could be seen at the Sinergia main office on Lexington Avenue in the days following Sandy’s arrival. While many not-for-profits and other businesses throughout the City of New York remained closed for the entire week following the storm, many of the Sinergia staff who work in the main office found a way to get in and we were open for business on the Wednesday following the storm.  Some drove, some car-pooled, some paid for cabs, some even walked blocks upon blocks, but they got in, and by noon on Wednesday the office was humming with activity.

The service interruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy were a great source of anxiety for many of the people with disabilities that we serve. However, many of these folks discovered that when they called our main office or stopped by, the MSCs, Case Managers, Coordinators, Fiscal and Administrative staff  were here and able to assist them with their issues. Likewise, the adults who attend the Day Habilitation program at the main office also arrived to find that many of their staff had found ways to get in from Brooklyn, Queens and other parts of the storm ravaged city.

We also need to recognize our housekeeping and maintenance staff who managed to find a way through the flooded streets and blocked avenues to come in and support the work being done at the main office, in the Day Habilitation program, the Residential program and on the administrative level.  Sinergia is very proud of the efforts of its entire staff and wants to be sure that they and their commitment to the people we serve is appreciated and recognized.                                                                           (Photo)

Kenny's Quilt

Kenny, Jake and Clara Berg are a family Sinergia has worked with to open a supervised, live-in residence for their son (we first introduced them to you in this April 2011 blog post). They attended the Art of Social Change workshop in Savannah, Georgia organized by Beth Mount, Tom Kohler, Connie and John O'Brien, Jack Pierpoint and Linda Kahn, among others who advocate very strongly for integrated communities.

Participants from many different states attended the opening of the story quilts made by Beth at the Jepson Center (Telfair Museum), and among them was a quilt she made for Kenny telling the story of his work at the farm and his new domicile. Many other activities such as art display, photographs and open farm market took place over the weekend, sharing with all of us the relationship between advocates and their proteges. 

Click here to watch the video

Sinergia Appoints New Associate Director, and Other Staff News

Sinergia is pleased to announce that on August 20th Dr. Bernice Moro will assume the position of Assoc. Director of Sinergia. Dr. Moro is a committed educational administrator with extensive experience in the field of education for students with special needs. She worked for the NYC Department of Education for 32 years and at New York University, Hunter College and Touro College. She is an educator with a specialty in English Language learners and special education. She has held numerous positions as a Deputy Superintendent of Bronx School District 7, Deputy in the Impartial Hearing Office, Deputy Superintendent for Administration and Student Support, District and High school Placement Officer, among others. We are looking forward to Dr. Moro’s arrival, the knowledge she brings and the many contributions she will make to future programming at Sinergia.

Any Nunez has been a beloved and well respected member of Sinergia’s Fiscal Department for over ten years. She has now taken over the reins as the controller of Sinergia and those of us who value her competency, work ethic, loyalty and dedication are thrilled by this appointment. We welcome Raquel Martinez back to Sinergia who will ably assist her along with Felicia Gomez in fiscal operations. Our best wishes for success to Edwin Barreto our former controller.

Our Nursing team will move to expanded brand new quarters on the second floor sometime in September.  The nurses at Sinergia  are our unsung heroes and we hope you will respond to our special appeal to provide them with a new Nursing Center.

Sinergia Boardmember Joins EICC

On April 18th Paola Jordan, a board member of Sinergia and the parent of twins, received official notification from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office that she had been appointed as member of the Statewide Early Intervention Coordinating Council (EICC), which is a committee of 27 members who represent families, providers and the New York State Department of Health. This committee assists the Department of Health in administering the Early Intervention program and makes recommendations to the Department on appropriate services for children with disabilities between the ages of 0 to 3 years and their families.

“As a representative of the families I am honored and proud to be in this group since my twins have benefited greatly from this program. During the nearly three and half years that my children received therapy services, I learned that the role of parents is crucial and this helps to make a difference in the results,” explains Paola. She is available to all families currently obtaining services from this program to receive and transmit messages to the EICC.

Our Deepest Condolences

We are saddened to announce that Jack Haines, husband of Gayle Haines, a long time Sinergia board member, passed away on April 22nd. Throughout the years, Jack was a wonderful host to Sinergia staff and board members at  his home in Captree Island. He participated in many special events and visited Sinergia programs numerous times. Jack was a painter, writer and great supporter of Sinergia’s mission.

Sinergia Executive Director Myrta Cuadra-Lash recently recalled her fond memories of him. "I have known  Jack and Gayle for at least three decades. They were former neighbors at Captree Island and made many visits to my home in Puerto Rico, where they fell in love with the Island. Jack and Dick (Sinergia founder) had so many common interests including their fondness for Captree Island, their intense curiosity for all things and their love of learning. Gayle was a teacher of some of the Lash children when they were in elementary school in West Islip. Our lives coincided in so many ways." The Sinergia family sends our deepest condolences to Gayle. A memorial service will be held in June. May he rest in peace.

Sinergia's Natasha Harris Honored for Excellence

On May 7, the Manhattan Developmental Disabilities Council sponsored the 10th Annual Manhattan Service Coordination Forum at Metro DDSO. During this event, the Forum acknowledged twelve Medicaid Service Coordinators from the Manhattan area for their hard work and dedication to consumers and their families. This year, Sinergia, Inc. was pleased to nominate Ms. Natasha Harris to receive such an honor. Ms. Natasha Harris has been a Medicaid Service Coordinator with our agency for four years. During these years, she demonstrated strong advocacy qualities and great dedication in providing the best quality of services to her consumers. Ms. Harris does not tolerate injustices against her consumers and works extremely hard to get entitlements for her consumers. Her consumers and families celebrate her enthusiasm and code of ethics.  It was a great honor for Sinergia to present this recognition to Ms. Harris.

MSC News/Developments

• Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC) completed online training for CHOICES (the electronic individual case records management system).
• Excellent Home Care will host a presentation for all our MSC and Family Support staff on June 13, 2012.
• The MSC department, in collaboration with The Metropolitan Parent Center, is launching the MSC Core Pilot Training on July 18, 2012. In this training MPC, MSC and Family support staff will participate in the training and provide constructive feedback to the trainers. This exercise will help trainers to prepare and improve their training methods before they provide this service to external providers.

Farewell to Manny Ortiz

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Manuel (Manny) Ortiz.  He was a former President of the Sinergia Board of Directors in our early years and  very committed to our  mission of enhancing the well being of individuals with disabilities and families, particularly special populations that traditionally experienced difficulties in accessing services. He was a longtime community organizer and activist for social justice. Richard Lash, Sinergia's founder, and I were very fortunate to count Manny as a friend and supporter of Sinergia and the people we serve.

Also the affordable housing and community development field has lost a great advocate and leader.  Manny was a long time Executive Director of the Carroll Gardens Development Corp. and for many years a board member of the Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of NYS. He passed away in Puerto Rico. Our condolences to his friends, family, and wife Isaura.

Mother's Day Success Story: Dilia Mieses

This year for Mother's Day we're featuring Dilia Marina Mieses Mendez, in recognition of her fighting spirit, and as a symbol of all the mother's that struggle to overcome obstacles and care for their children with special needs.

Dilia, who recently became a member of Sinergia's Board of Directors, had a blossoming career in her native Dominican Republic. After graduating from civil engineering, she decided to pursue classical ballet, which was her passion. She trained as a dancer as well as an instructor, and received a diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance in New York. Ms. Mieses later headed up a private dance school back home, became academic director of the National Dance School of Santo Domingo and was one of the founders of the Instituto Superior de Bellas Artes, the first organization focused in fine arts in the capital city. Armed with the self confidence that being a leader had fostered in her, she enrolled in a Master's Program for teaching. It seemed as if nothing could stop this mother of two, but in 2004, her world was turned upside down. Her youngest son, four year old Cesar, was diagnosed with autism. She traveled to the States to get a second opinion, and attended a training program for parents of children with autism. Upon returning home she tried to juggle her new circumstances, but there were few resources available locally, and after 2 years she realized she needed to find better care for her child elsewhere. Leaving behind her career in dance -- and her husband -- in 2007 she came to New York in search of assistance. Since then she has been confronting obstacles every day, but she has dedicated herself to learning about autism and the educational system to help out little Cesar. She credits her mother as being instrumental in her fight.

"When there is a child with special needs all the people around them play a very important role. I am very thankful of my family because without them I could not be here. My mother has been a huge support. She helped to pave the way for me. I could not have done it by myself. It takes a lot of effort to get children with special needs to calm down, and sometimes it feels like the days aren't long enough."

"My child requires attention all day long and the quality of care from parents and family members cannot be compared to those of an outside worker, unless you're lucky to find a special one. That makes the child feel secure, which helps him overcome obstacles. I am happy to be dedicating myself to my two sons, and even though I have sacrificed a career that gave much joy, I feel good."

Success Story: Kenny Berg

When one first sees Kenny Berg interacting with his mother and father it is easy to see how strong the bond between them is. Kenny glows when he is around his parents and the look of love and caring that emanates from them is almost a physical force you can touch. These strong feelings are obvious even though the 36 year old has severe developmental disabilities, including intensive sight and hearing deficits. Despite his limitations, Kenny has an amazing ability to know exactly who is in his immediate proximity. His parents believe that he can use his sense of smell to identify people and that he has an uncanny ability to determine whether or not he will connect with someone based upon their “vibe.” Kenny’s ability to sense his surroundings without the use of sight or hearing has come in handy as he goes about his chores at the Queens County Farm. Kenny has been working at this unique facility for a number of years now, and has become an expert at collecting and sorting fresh eggs from the farm’s chickens. His colleagues state that the chickens, which can be ornery when disturbed from their egg-sitting, rarely raise a fuss as Kenny gently and quietly collects their eggs and places them in a basket to be sorted and sold in the farm’s store.

Kenny, who currently lives with his parents, is getting older now and his parents are anxiously working with Sinergia and the New York State Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to find a permanent residential placement for him. Kenny’s parents understand that he will need to establish a place to live outside of their home and despite the heartbreak that this separation may cause for all in the short-term, it is the long-term solution that occupies the thoughts of Kenny’s family. As developments occur, we will keep you all abreast of Kenny’s search for a home he can call his own.

Sinergia's Board President Gets High Honors

On October 15th, 2010, Sinergia Executive Director Myrta Cuadra-Lash and Deputy Executive Director Michael Mitchell traveled to Long Beach, NY to attend the 1st Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Dinner Dance sponsored by the Long Beach Latino Civic Association. Created by concerned members of the community, the Long Beach Latino Civic Association developed this event to honor outstanding local citizens who have made notable contributions to the City of Long Beach.

One of the three honorees was Len Torres, Ph.D (pictured above far right, next to fellow honoree, Rosa Marie Goeller, and Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg), who also serves as president of Sinergia’s Board of Directors, and who was selected for the years of public service that he has selflessly dedicated to the people of his hometown. In addition to his years of teaching, working as the Dean of Students at Long Beach High School and serving as an Assistant Principal, Dr. Torres also taught English as a Second Language at Adelphi University and was a Principal and a Superintendent of Schools in Puerto Rico and the Bronx. He has also served on the Long Beach Zoning Board Housing Commission, is the Program Director for the Long Beach Latino Civic Association and is also the first Latino to serve on the City of Long Beach Council.

Sinergia is proud to salute Dr. Torres on his accomplishments and his well deserved acknowledgement on a night that was filled with good food, outstanding music and the company of great friends. Among the celebrants were Harvey Weisenberg, a member of The Assembly of the State of New York (pictured above on the left), and Karen Cerna, also a member of the Sinergia Board of Directors, the Long Beach Latino Civic Association and chairperson of this fabulous event. We feel lucky indeed to have such a well-respected and experienced person as Dr. Len Torres connected to Sinergia and appreciate his efforts on our behalf and for the people with disabilities that we serve.

Sinergia Elects New Board Members

Sinergia held its annual meeting and election of members of the Board of Directors and officers on September 16, 2010, and the following are the officers that were elected:
Len Torres, Ed.D.- President
Cecile Vanech - Vice-President
Cecile Vanech - Co-treasurer
Fathima Torres - Co-treasurer
Melissa Toribio-Boughner - Secretary

Sinergia welcomes all members elected to the Board of Directors. We particularly congratulate three members for whom this will be the first year they serve on the Board:

Fathima P. Torres

Founder and President of a grassroots based organization, DONAR, Inc., which is committed to working with the Latino population of Community District 9 and Council District 7 in Manhattan. The core program focuses on adult education and civic engagement. DONAR also provides technical assistance to the Dominican Republic with a focus on special education. Mrs. Torres has served as Director of Public Relations with the Dominican Women’s Caucus and President of the Parents Council for The Oliver Program. She is a member of the National Dominican Women’s Caucus, member of Community Board #9 and is the Finance Chair for the Dominican American National Roundtable, and founder of Northern Manhattan NOW Chapter.

Johnny Rivera
Long time East Harlem activist and Senior Program Director for Mount Sinai Medical Center, formerly Director of the East Harlem District for Congressman Charles B. Rangel. He also worked as Program Director for the Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, and was a community organizer for the Community Service Society and the I Have a Dream Foundation. He is a Board member of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, former President of Community Board #4 and he has served on Manhattan Community Board #11.

Yolanda Sanchez
An institution in the Latino community who has spent over thirty years in the development and management of diverse human services. She serves as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Association for Community Affairs and is President of the National Latinas Caucus, past president of the East Harlem Council for Human Services and former director of the CUNY Office of Puerto Rican Program Development.  Ms. Sanchez is a former National Urban Fellow and a graduate of Harvard University’s School of Business, and holds an MSW degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Social Work.

Sinergia congratulates Dr. Len Torres, President of the Sinergia Board of Directors. We are proud to announce his selection as honoree of the 2010 Community Leadership Award by the Long Beach Latino Civic Association. Sinergia is appreciative of Len’s leadership and his long time dedication to the education of all children. Please contact 516-889-4912 if you wish to attend the dinner dance in Long Beach, NY on October 15, 2010 when Len will be presented with this highly merited award.

Sinergia Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Local Artist Exhibit

To coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, Sinergia and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute are holding a joint opening reception of "A Nuyorican's Nostalgic Journey," an art exhibit featuring the work of East Harlem artist Clemente Flores.

Flores was born and raised on 112th Street and Madison Avenue and his watercolors depict his childhood experiences growing up in the migrant, urban, mostly Puerto Rican community that was El Barrio in the 1950s. Kites flying from tenement rooftops, an afternoon of dominoes, and rush hour at La Barberia, the local barber shop - Flores has laid a multitude of memories on canvas to depict scenes from his youth.

"We are very pleased to feature a community artist in our exhibit space. There is tremendous talent in El Barrio and we want to do what we can to cultivate creativity," says Ms. Cuadra-Lash, director of Sinergia.

"I am proud that through my eyes and expressions I am able to stimulate interest in my cultural background. I never believed that one day my paintings would help me to be accepted as respected artist in the community, especially in East Harlem where I grew up and still reside," says Flores.

Art Exhibit: "A Nuyorican's Nostalgic Journey"
by Clemente Flores

Date:     Tuesday Sept. 21, 2010

Time:    6:00 - 8:30pm

Where: 2082 Lexington Avenue, 4th floor (between 125th & 126th Streets; #6 train to 125th Street)

Contact: 212-843-2840, information at sinergiany.com

Note: The exhibit "Gateway, An Artistic Response to the Immigration Crisis," presented by Art For Change, will also be open for public viewing on the 1st and 2nd floors on that same date and time.

About the artist:
Clemente Flores was born in 1943 to Puerto Rican immigrant parents and raised in East Harlem, El Barrio, within a family of artists and musicians. A self-taught artist, he began to draw and paint in 1985 where upon he began sketching on sheets of paper and realized his hidden gift for art.

Mr. Flores grew up and came of age on 112th Street and Madison Avenue in the 1950s in what he describes as an adventurous life in a colorful vibrant Puerto Rican community caught between American values and those of his immigrant parents. “It was a period much cherished as the entire neighborhood took care of its children. Especially in the summer time, when you stepped out of your house and were bombarded with so much liveliness. You could hear the shouts of kids playing stick ball, fighting over marble games, or arguing about who could spin the top better on the street pavement. I cherish these moments, because as working class kids, we were very crafty about creating our own games or building wooden scooters and go-carts from baby carriages. Likewise we created our own kites that we flew from rooftops. In the 1950’s you could see what seemed to be hundreds of kites floating in the sky.”

At street corners you could see the older men we used to call ‘jibaros,’ proudly wearing their Guayabera shirts, playing dominos, talking about their beautiful island Puerto Rico, politics, baseball or “La Bolita.’ At the same time, you could see the Doo Wop singers on the street corners, singing at house parties called ‘Sets’ and in the hallways, to enhance their songs with the beautiful echo sounds. It was a fun way to attract girls. You could also hear the sounds of Plena and Bomba players and conga drummers playing Latin rhythms of Afro-Cuban beats.”

“The images of this nostalgic journey are the creative forces that continue to be pervasive in my mind reflecting upon a tender period of my life that I thought I lost forever. But I have a reservoir of memories and I am inspired to express them in my art.”

Clemente Flores’ artwork has been exhibited extensively throughout New York City and Puerto Rico since 1988. His work was the subject of a major retrospective “Clemente Flores, Memories of El Barrio” at Museo del Barrio of New York in 2001. Other exhibits have been hosted at Boricua College, Union Settlement, Cuando Gallery and the Spanish Institute among many others.

Mr. Flores holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from City College of New York and continued his studies at Fordham University. His work garnered recognition for his diverse talents and community work including an Award of Appreciation from the school of Medicine of Mount Sinai Hospital of New York and a 2009 East Harlem Arts Grant from the Association of Hispanic Arts.

A New Beginning for Tania and her Son

As a precursor to the Puertorican Day Parade, the 116th Street Fair on Saturday, June 12, 2010 was a feast of food, music and very colorful characters. Sinergia participated in the fun and fanfare thanks to a booth donated by Mt. Sinai Hospital. Our staff members were on hand all day long to answer questions and distribute brochures. We offered free blood pressure screenings in the morning which had a huge response, and during the "afternoon shift," Michael Mitchell, Tiffany James, Carmina Perez, Mildred Ramos and Lizette Dunn-Barcelona greeted people walking by to give them information about Sinergia's many services.

A young woman by the name of Tania, her disabled 9 year old son and her cousin were among those that stopped by. The mother and son had just arrived from Puerto Rico within the last two weeks and were staying with their cousin in the Bronx. Tania's son had had several surgeries in Puerto Rico and she was now trying to get special care for him in New York City. She was in need of medical and educational services for her son, and a place to live.

The following Monday Sinergia began working with Tania and within two weeks she and her son were living in one of Sinergia's Tier ll shelters funded by the Department of Homeless Services. She also began receiving case management services through our Family Support Program. Their case manager will ensure that her son's Medicaid services are in place, that all his evaluations are current and that he is enrolled in a district 75 school in time to begin classes this fall.

Both Tania and her son are doing well and are adjusting to life in NYC. Once her son is settled in school Tania hopes to begin looking for work in order to find permanent housing. She is grateful to Sinergia and looks forward to a long rewarding relationship with us.

Sinergia Intern Carries the Message to the Dominican Republic

For two summers in a row we have had a guest intern, Kirsy Rosado from the Dominican Republic who is from La Asociacion Dominicana de Rehabilitacion. The organization has four schools that focus on special education and rehabilitation.  Unfortunately according to Kirsy they do not have much in the way of parent training. Last year she was exposed to many programs at Sinergia and of course the workshops and the work of our Parent Training and Information Center, which she enjoyed immensely. Her internship is sponsored by an organization called DONAR America which provides technical assistance to organizations in the Dominican Republic and NYC, primarily to the Dominican population.

The PACER Center has graciously agreed to share the Spanish translation of their FAST curriculum, which is focused on the development of training modules to teach families and their children to become self-advocates. Kirsy is a wonderful teacher and administrator and we are very pleased that she is bringing this much needed training to people with disabilities in her home country.

Staff Spotlight: Michael Cortes, Esquire

It is with much pleasure that the Sinergia family congratulates Michael Angel Cortes on being admitted to the New York State bar on August 4th 2010. Mr. Cortes joined the Sinergia family a year ago as a Housing Advocate and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the organization. With Mr. Cortes becoming a licensed attorney, Sinergia can now offer legal advice and representation to our consumers when those services are needed. Sinergia looks forward to many more years of working with Mr. Cortes and in continuing to provide quality services to our community.

New Book by the President of Sinergia's Board

The Double Life of a Snowbird
by Sally L. Romero Ph.D

Dr. Sally L. Romero, who up until her untimely death last week was President of the Board of Directors of Sinergia, Inc., left behind a wonderful gift in the shape of a new book of personal memoirs, aptly named “The Double Life of a Snowbird.”  In it, as a "Nuyorican," she described the full life she led in Puerto Rico during the winter months as a commuting retiree and in New York for the remaining months of the year.

Her short stories and poems are prefaced by the poignant descriptions written by both her parents prior to their deaths about their own memories of an impoverished childhood on the island and subsequent migration to New York as young adults, an experience shared by many other Puerto Ricans who left seeking a better life for themselves and their families in the mainland.

For a copy of the book please contact Sinergia at 212-643-2840.

Bio
Sally Lebron Romero, CSW, PhD, is a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican parentage who is sometimes referred to as a "Nuyorican," since she was not born on the island. She has worked in New York City and in Puerto Rico as a social worker in medical settings and in private agencies that provided mental health and social services to children and their families. She also worked for the Board of Education as a school social worker and supervisor of other social workers in the South Bronx and elsewhere before her retirement in 1991. During her tenure with the Board of Education, Sally earned her PhD in Educational Administration and Supervision in 1989 at Fordham University.

Since then she spent five years advising graduate students at the New York University School of Social Work until 1995. Currently she does occasional consulting regarding educational and social welfare issues on a volunteer basis and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Sinergia, Inc., a non-profit agency for developmentally disabled and mentally challenged children.

Sally has always been interested in writing ever since her fourth grade teacher told her she wrote well. Now she feels she has something to write about. Being in a writer’s workshop over the past 9 years has enabled her to stretch herself and try her hand at poetry as well.  She enjoys the best of two worlds by spending several months of the year in Puerto Rico and the rest of the time in New York City or in Philadelphia visiting her daughter Norma, and her two grandsons, Marcus and Justin.

Staff Spotlight: Erin McSorley, Roller Derby Queen

By day Erin McSorley is a Day Habilitation Specialist at Sinergia, where she teaches art to adults with developmental disabilities, but by night she transforms into "Bunny McBones," roller derby queen! "Bunny" rolls with the Gotham Girls Roller Derby, New York City’s only all-female, do-it-yourself (DIY), skater-operated roller derby league. In case you haven’t heard about the resurgence of this supreme sport on skates, it has indeed made a huge comeback and is better than ever. She formerly played with the Dutchland Rollers in Lancaster PA before moving to New York to skate with GGRD, the #1 ranked team in the nation!

"Bunny" played in her first bout as a Queens of Pain team member on May 22nd , and the game will be broadcast on NYCTV at 11:30pm on June 2nd if you'd like to catch her in action. That's her that night in the black and silver pictured above. Their home games are at Hunter College and the next one is on July 10th. Tickets always sell out so if you’d like to attend, make sure to buy yours in advance (like, right now!). Doors open at 6:30 pm, the game starts at 8:30 pm.