recordProminent Foundations Support

Graham Windham’s Literacy Initiative

insideJ

2005 Gala

New Staff Members

Celebrity Visit

Alumni Reunion

serving children supporting families strengthening communitiesvol. xxxi issue no. 3

summer 2005

continued on page 3

The Independence Community

Foundation and the Lehman

Brothers Foundation have

recently joined forces with Graham

Windham by providing grants of $25,000

each. This covers the cost of the Family

Literacy Facilitator for our Brooklyn

Community-Based Literacy Pilot

Program, a model the agency hopes to

replicate in the Bronx and Harlem.

“We are very honored to partner

with both The Independence

Community Foundation and the

Lehman Brothers Foundation, two high-

ly esteemed foundations, on this impor-

tant component of our agency-wide lit-

eracy initiative,” says Poul Jensen,

Graham Windham CEO and President.

The Brooklyn Family Literacy

Facilitator is a newly created position that

will collaborate with the Brooklyn

Education Coordinator and help Graham

Windham to liaison between its casework

and the school system, collaborate with

outside organizations to maximize the

services the Agency offers and to serve

approximately 400 children and families

by the end of the first year of the program.

“It was through several meet-

ings with the Independence

Community Foundation that this

position came to fruition. All it takes

is one private funder to believe in

your idea to be able to garner interest

from other foundations, and to help

set forth a new program that has the

potential to truly make a difference

in a child’s welfare and well being.

We are very grateful for the support

of both the Independence

Community Foundation and the

Lehman Brothers Foundation,” com-

ments Charmane Wong, VP of

Graham Windham Early Childhood

“Making the acquisition of literacy skills andeducational attainment an integral element ofchild welfare services is central to improvingthe lives of these most vulnerable children.”

BEN ESNER, INDEPENDENCE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

GWSummer 2/8/06 12:41 Page 1

Where better to celebrate the importance of education and family than in the Graham

School’s beautifully renovated historic chapel and state-of-the-art learning center, where

more than forty alumni and their families spent a wonderful day

catching up, reminiscing and listening to the latest updates about

their alma mater. Current Graham residents welcomed alumni

and gave tours of their respective cottages.

Gerry Leventhal, Graham Windham VP for Westchester

Services, moderated a panel discussion led by Donald Griggs,

principal, Vincent Ziccolella Elementary/Middle School,

Anthony Braswell, principal, Martin Luther King, Jr. High

School, and Tamara Rivera, a former Graham School resident.

Both principals presented a State-of-the-School address and

responded to questions from the alumni audience. Leventhal

spoke about the school’s efforts in expediting family reunifica-

tion and its on-going collaboration with the Administration for

Children’s Services to shorten the length of time children

spend in foster care.

One of the highlights of the day was Tamara Rivera’s

story of working with Graham School staff and finding a per-

manent family. “Just because we’re not little kids anymore,

we still need homes. I knew [Graham] would help me find

one,” Tamara said to the attentive audience.

“Since finding a home for Tamara last year,” Leventhal

says, “her performance in school, her interactions with her

classmates and her enthusiasm to succeed in life have all

improved dramatically.” GW

PICTURED ABOVE: Graham Windham’s Martin Luther King Jr. High School “Tigers” Basketball Team

(located at the Graham Residential School and Treatment Center in Westchester) won its first

Class D state championship title and became the first residential treatment center in New York

State to win a state-wide public school championship in a major sport.

Literacy Initiative, cont’d from page 1Graham School Alumni ReunionRemembering the Past, Looking Forward

Graham Windham Board of DirectorsGeorgia Wall, Chair

Richard M. DeMartini,

Senior Vice Chair

David Hunt, First Vice Chair

John L. Cecil, Second Vice Chair

Hamid Biglari, Third Vice Chair

John Sargent, Treasurer

R. Kenneth Bryant,

Assistant Treasurer

Robert V. Ferrari, Secretary

Heather McVeigh, Assistant Secretary

Melissa M. Thomson,

Assistant Secretary

Suzanne F. Bales

Henry J. Carnage

James R. Craigie

Madeline Eckett-Oden

Phyllis Fisher-Wright

Michael Golden

Jane Hanson

Barbara Landau

Shamika Lee

Ritta McLaughlin

Pamela C. Minetti

Carmen Paolercio

Sydney Reynolds

Tracy Pearce Rutherfurd

Harriet Savage

Catherine Tracy

Carlo Vittorini

Keith Winn

Poul Jensen, President & CEO

Services and Director of Literacy Programs.

Additionally, in May 2005, The Staples Foundation for Early Learning Inc. signed

on to Graham Windham’s Literacy Initiative with a $10,000 grant to help support a fam-

ily literacy-training program for adults whose pre-school children attend the America

Reads program at Graham Windham’s Harlem Beacon Center.

It has become evident that funding organizations and donors recognize now, more than

ever, that Graham Windham not only holds a solid results-driven track record and exhibits

mastery in its core area of focus of service provision, child welfare; but that the Agency also

has seen much success integrating education and literacy into its programs and services.

Ben Esner, Deputy Director at the Independence Community Foundation adds,

“Making the acquisition of literacy skills and educational attainment an integral element

of child welfare services is central to improving the lives of these most vulnerable chil-

dren. Through its innovative programming Graham Windham is a leader in this effort,

and our Foundation is truly honored to be its partner as we seek to create an effective

model that addresses this critical need.”

While Graham Windham’s mission will always be the welfare of children, it has

become clear that improving a child’s education and literacy skills, as well as their parent’s,

is critical to the betterment of a child’s future. Going forward Graham Windham expects

to continue seeking private funds to support this important program, which works to

enhance the exemplary child welfare programs and services that currently exist. GW

Mrs. William Greyand Elizabeth Rivera

Rodriguez

Back row, left to right: A. Nunez, F. Caban, W.Landry, P. Fisher-Wright, W. Henry; Front row, left to right: S. de la Torre, L.Acea, and former Graham School staff member J. Wasserman.

Graham Windham Speaks toPermanency and EducationGerry Leventhal, Graham Windham Vice President for Westchester

Services, presented at the Family to Family Leadership Conference,

“Putting Values into Action,” sponsored by the Annie E. Casey

Foundation, in Denver, Colorado, in June. Mr. Leventhal joined four

members of the New York City Administration for Children’s

Services (ACS) staff in a workshop discussion on the City’s success

in lowering the number of children in foster care from 41,000 to

its current number of 18,000 over the past eight years. His com-

ments addressed the Graham School’s transformation from a res-

idential treatment center to a residential school and treatment cen-

ter that focuses on permanency and education.

It’s a Touchdown! This past Spring Graham Windham Board of Directors Member,

Shamika Lee, was honored as the New York Giants’ 2004

Community Quarterback. Funded by NFL Charities, the Giants

Community Quarterback Award honors youth and community vol-

unteers who have demonstrated leadership, dedication and com-

mitment to bettering the community in which they live. As a

teenager in Graham Windham programs, Ms. Lee brings first

hand knowledge and has been instrumental in developing new

programming and events such as the Annual Holiday Gift Drive

for teenagers, securing tickets to various sporting events, leading

workshops on college prep, budgeting, and career planning, and

preparing a college tour program that will provide teenagers with

exposure to various colleges and universities. Currently, Ms. Lee is

a member of the Media & Internet Equity Research team at

Lehman Brothers and she continues to lobby for a variety of

improvements to the foster care system in general.

summer 2005 J 3

GWSummer 2/8/06 12:41 Page 2

record J 4

Bright Lights, Big City: Graham Windham Hosts Literacy at the Lighthouse

summer 2005 J 5

The setting sun over the Hudson provided a

spectacular backdrop for Literacy at the

Lighthouse: Graham Windham Celebrates

John Sargent on Thursday, May 26th at the

Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. Students from

the Graham Windham Beacon program and

the Graham School boys’ basketball team

acted as a welcoming committee under a

canopy of palm trees, and 420 guests were

entertained by the sounds of the Graham

School Steel Drum Band as they sipped

cocktails and perused the silent auction of

one-of-a-kind Picador authors’ doodles.

John Sargent is the Chief Executive

Officer of Holtzbrinck Publishing and a long-

time member of the Graham Windham

Board of Directors and former Chairman of

the Board. The New York City publishing

world came out to pay tribute to John, as did

the Graham Windham family of friends and

supporters, staff and board members.

Jane Hanson, Mistress of Ceremonies,

opened the evening by recognizing the

Graham School Tigers championship boys’

basketball team, and Tom Wolfe, the noted

New York author, followed with remarks to

the admiring crowd. After dinner, Georgia

Wall, Chairman of the Graham Windham

Board of Directors, stepped to the podium.

With a theme of “all things are possible,” she

spoke about the need for support for

Graham Windham’s programs and services,

and how critical literacy is for all children

today. Ms. Wall then presented John Sargent

with a framed drawing of a literary superhero,

created by Gerald Crowe, a student at the

Graham School.

Amid much applause, Mr. Sargent

spoke of his commitment to both his own

family and the Graham Windham family,

underscoring the incredible need for support

for the agency’s critical, life-changing pro-

grams and services, particularly in the area of

literacy enhancements.

The evening raised nearly $700,000 in

support of Graham Windham’s programs and

services, and guests danced the night away

to the sounds of legendary New York City DJ

Tom Finn. GW

TOP PHOTO Left to right: Heather McVeigh,Tom Wolfe, Melissa Thomson, Suzy Bales

MIDDLE LEFT Shamika Lee and Jane Hanson

MIDDLE RIGHT Honoree John Sargent acceptsthe Isabella Graham Award fromBoard Chair Georgia Wall

BOTTOM The Graham School Steel DrumBand

Michael Golden and Catherine Tracy.

ABOVE MIDDLE Teens from the Graham Windham BeaconProgram greet guests.

ABOVE Left to right: Maureen Barton, Tom and HondiBrasco, and Bill Barton enjoy the evening.

Paul Shang and friends. Gwendolyn Merrill, Kathy Mestl, andKaren Lynch.

GWSummer 2/8/06 12:41 Page 4

record J 6

Dinner ChairmenHamid Biglari, CitigroupJennifer L. Brorsen and Richard M. DeMartiniMichael Golden, The New York Times CompanyJames P. Gorman, Merrill LynchDavid Hunt, McKinsey & CompanyConnie SargentStefan Von Holtzbrinck, Holtzbrinck Georgia Wall and Donald J. GogelKeith and Linda Winn

PatronsPaul S. Bird, Debevoise & Plimpton LLPLaurence J. Kirshbaum, Time Warner

Book GroupHeather and Brian McVeighMidland Paper Company/WeyerhaeuserRichard Robinson, Scholastic Inc.

Jerry SpeyerMelissa and Todd Thomson

SponsorsCharles A. Anderson, Anderson MediaAnonymous Suzy and Carter F. BalesJohn Cecil and Celia FelsherCasey Cogut, Simpson Thacher & BartlettJane Friedman, HarperCollins PublishersJaguar Advanced GraphicsJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.Marina and Stephen E. KaufmanAnthony Lucki, Houghton Mifflin CompanySteve Murphy, Rodale Inc.NeltjeQuebecor World Book and Directory ServicesRR Donnelley

Random HouseJane and Paul Shang

FriendsBill Barry, DK PublishingR. Kenneth Bryant, The Wicks Group, L.L.C.James R. Craigie, Church & DwightGVA WilliamsJack Gilbride, Mutual of AmericaGoogleJonathan Knee, Evercore PartnersCarmen and Anthony PaolercioJill and Alan RappaportJack Romanos, Simon & SchusterCatherine and Arnold TracyNancy and Carlo VittoriniVon Hoffmann/Lehigh PressW. W. Norton & Company

Ritta McLaughlinJoins Board ofDirectors

Graham Windham is pleased to

announce that Ritta McLaughlin

has joined the Board of Directors.

Currently an Associate

Director in Municipal Finance at

Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc.,

McLaughlin has structured and pro-

vided investment banking services

for 14 major airport transactions

totaling over $2.2 billion, since join-

ing the firm in 2002 as a member of

the Airport Finance Group. She also

serves as the firm’s day-to-day

banker for the District of Columbia,

the State of Connecticut and is a

member of the firm’s financing team

for the City of New York, working

with state and local municipalities

in their efforts to finance a variety of

infrastructure projects.

A graduate of Vassar College

and the New School for Social

Research, Ms. McLaughlin has led

a professional life that has encom-

passed politics, teaching, communi-

ty development, finance, writing and

speaking—an amazing amalgama-

tion of service provided to the pub-

lic, non-profit and private sectors.

summer 2005 J 7

Senior Staff Members Join Graham WindhamMr. Francis X. Spain joined Graham Windham this spring as the Chief Financial Officer/Vice

President for Operations. Mr. Spain, who is responsible for the overall operations of Fiscal Services,

Human Resources, Administrative Services, Information Technology and Quality Improvement, has

over 25 years of highest level managerial experience providing both public and private child welfare

services. Mr. Spain holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Rockefeller School of

Government (SUNY) and a BA in economics and finance from Manhattan College, where he grad-

uated summa cum laude.

Dr. Vijay Giles was welcomed as the new Principal of the Martin Luther King Jr., High School

(The Graham School) on July 1, 2005. She came to Graham Windham from Yonkers Public

Schools where she worked as an Assistant Principal for six years. Prior to administration, Dr. Giles

was the district-wide staff developer for instructional technology and a mathematics and comput-

er science teacher for eight years. She earned her Ed.D in Educational Leadership with a concen-

tration in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University.

Her immediate responsibilities include supervision of the literacy initiative, staff development,

school safety, and collaborative leadership. Dr. Giles welcomes the opportunity to make Graham

Windham and Martin Luther King Jr., High School a superlative educational facility for students

with special needs..

BELOW: On June 28, 2005, Charles Grodin, the famed actor, writer and former TV talk show host

participated in Road Recovery’s Master Class Series by speaking to a roundtable gathering of 15

to 17 year olds at the Graham School. Mr. Grodin had a direct and open conversation with teens

about the importance of focusing on realizing and pursing career goals. Road Recovery

is a non-profit organization comprised of music industry professionals whose lives have been

touched by drug and alcohol addiction. Since 2001, Road Recovery has been partnering with

the Graham School in delivering their ‘Live’ Performance Programs, Master Class Series and

bi-monthly sobriety meetings on campus.

With Special Thanks to Our 2005 Gala Supporters

CommitteeJames Abramson and Cornelia A.Sellers, Law Offices of James M.

AbramsonMr. and Mrs. James D. AuranMr. and Mrs. Peter AxelrodMaureen and Bill BartonMr. and Mrs. Matthew BloomAnthony and Nancy BoweOren and Mary Jo BramsonMr. and Mrs. Thomas C. BrascoBlair and Mary Kim BrewsterSusan Bruce and Peter HedgesMariellen and Noble CarpenterMr. and Mrs. Henry J. CarnageMary A. Civiello and

William T. CarrNate and Erin CortrightMr. and Mrs. Stephen CrawfordLynda Decker, Decker DesignMichael and Susan Delaney Liz Ann and Buzz DohertyMr. and Mrs. Richard DresdaleMr. and Mrs. David EdelsonThe Ellen M. Violett and Mary

P.R. Thomas Foundation, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. FerrariJoe Finder and Michele SoudaPhyllis Fisher-WrightMolly Friedrich and Mark CarsonDr. and Mrs. Charles A. GrayPaul and Diane GuidoneJeffrey Gural, Newmark &

CompanyMr. and Mrs. Volker HaseMrs. Alexander B. HawesHarry P. Hawkes, Booz Allen

HamiltonMr. and Mrs. George HornigLinda and J.P. HowittStephanie and Tim IngrassiaSarah IsraelMr. and Mrs. Charles Jackson

Marc E. JaffeFrancis and Kelly JelenspergerJoseph Kanon and Robin StrausJeremy Kohomban, The Children’s

VillageMary M. KreskyKarin and David KuhnsLisa Kunstadter and

Nicholas StephensFred Kuntzman, Ernst & YoungJenny and Trey LairdShamika LeeMichael and Karen LynchSusan and Bennett MachtigerJack McArdle, Arthur J. Gallagher

& Co.Heather McCallionKathy and Jim MestlRobert S. MillerMr. and Mrs. Paul MinarskyMr. and Mrs. T. Guy MinettiJimmy and Amanda MoffatCandy and Mike MonacoNicholas Ellison, Nicholas

Ellison, Inc.Dore NormileFrank and Ashley O’KeefeMadeline and L. Patrick OdenDr. and Mrs. Robert PalmerPhoenix Color CorporationVikki L. PryorSydney Reynolds and

James RaniereTracy and Jim RutherfurdEllen Sargent and Steve NicholasMr. and Mrs. John T. SargentHarriet and Arthur SavagePatricia S. Schroeder, Association

of American Publishers, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. ShiverickBradford SmithBenita C. SomerfieldCharlotte and John SuhlerHugh and Julie Sullivan

Julia Talbott and Michael KatzThomas and Cynthia TarantinoFrederick and Barbara TaylorAmanda Urban, International

CreativeManagement

Christina and Philip VanMunching

George and Kathleen VonderLinden

Mr. and Mrs. Jay WaxenbergRick WeissbourdMichael Whitnum, Peck’s

Office PlusPeter D. WildDennis and Kathleen WinterPeter Workman, Workman

Publishing Co.Mr. and Mrs. Michael J.

Zimmerman

ContributorsRobert G. Anderson, Jr.AnonymousMr. and Mrs. Frank AntolinoSusan K. Benedetto and

Joseph J. PorcoDoris Benedict and Patricia

J. LinderAnna Bogdanow and

Eugene VastolaMr. and Mrs. Bryan BowersMichael Cairns, R.R. Bowker LLCGrace L. BrodskySean CassidyJack and Carole CohnMr. and Mrs. Scott ColtonEllen and Pierre de Saint PhalleMr. and Mrs. Raymond P. DipaoliDisney Worldwide Services, Inc.Thomas L. DunneBienn Estrella and Theodore

BickingDan and Kara Farley

Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln E. FrankMr. and Mrs. Michael FriedmanMr. and Mrs. William GollnerJessica and James GrayPoul and Denise JensenJoseph and Joanne KastalekHolly KennedySherry and Robert KreekGerry Leventhal and Kathy ForteMr. and Mrs. Nathan R. LightDavid Megley and Therese

GuadagnoRobert S. Miller, HyperionMs. Rita Ann MoraleMooseluck Associates, Inc.Anthony Nappi and Sarah

DahlgrinMr. and Mrs. Alexander RendeSally RichardsonRomolo RubeoDr. and Mrs. A. RubinStephen Rubin, Doubleday

BroadwayLouis J. RuggieroLaura and Chris Rulon-MillerWilliam SabiaSuzy SanfordBernard SegalTimothy SeldesJoseph Solimine, Rosol AgencyFrank SpainMr. and Mrs. William StaudtKaren W. TalbotFrances A. VelayChip and Jan WagnerTheodore R. Wagner, CarterLedyard & Milburn LLPRonald WalcottBasil WebsterMr. and Mrs. Martin WeinbergTania and Alan WeissCharmane Wong and Paul DunnAndrew Wylie, The Wylie Agency

GWSummer 2/8/06 12:41 Page 6

Graham Windham helps

under-served children over-

come obstacles on the path to

self-sufficiency by giving them

the skills to succeed, support-

ing and strengthening their

families and, when necessary,

supplementing their families.

Graham Windham

Development Office

33 Irving Place, 7th Floor

New York, NY 10003

T 212-529-6445, x316

F 212-614-9811

www.graham-windham.org

Design: brown stone studio www.brown-stone-studio.com

COFCCA

COUNCIL OF FAMILY ANDCHILD CARING AGENCIES

record

Serving ChildrenSupporting Families

Strengthening Communities

Graham Windham33 Irving PlaceNew York, NY 10003

www.graham-windham.org

Harlem Beacon Center After-School Program to Expand

Graham Windham recently received a new O.S.T. (Out of School Time) Services con-

tract to provide after-school programs and services to an additional 104 children at the

Harlem Beacon Center located at the Roberto Clemente Middle School at I.S. 195.

“This contract is extremely important because it will provide Graham Windham with

the opportunity to strengthen our partnership with the school, serve more of our preven-

tion children, and enhance our youth development program,” says Charmane Wong, VP of

Graham Windham Early Childhood Services and Director of Literacy Programs.

Currently serving 300 students between the ages of 6-12 years, the Agency’s OST

program offers students an extended school day

plus daily summer programming with expanded

learning opportunities in a safe, drug free environ-

ment that supports and encourages student’s aca-

demic achievement, physical, mental, social and

emotional development. Additionally, the Agency

will be hiring new staff to compliment existing staff

including seven new teachers, one curriculum spe-

cialist, and five specialty instructors. GW

GWSummer 2/8/06 12:41 Page 8