The Klock Kingston Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to support the Benedictine Health Foundation’s programs that provide financial support and compassionate care to people coping with the diagnosis of cancer, and behavioral health and substance abuse disorders.
Programs that will benefit include the Rosemary D. Gruner Memorial Cancer Fund to assist cancer patients while they receive treatment, $90,000 is distributed annually, and valuable workshops and educational forums for adolescents to educate them on behavioral health conditions that can lead to discrimination or bullying, and create reluctance for our youth to seek help. Topics presented are crucial to healthy development, self-esteem and confidence, and share a critical message of persistence, resilience, self-worth and hard work.
“We thank the Klock Foundation and Key Private Bank for their continuous support of our mission to raise and distribute resources to support quality healthcare that improves the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of those who are vulnerable and underserved in Ulster County and the surrounding area,” stated Robert J. Ryan, Jr., President of the Benedictine Health Foundation.
The Klock Kingston Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Ulster County to advance education, literacy, the arts, public health and the sciences. “As a member of the Klock Kingston Trustees, we are again proud to continue the charitable legacy of Lucia and Jay Klock, and to support health care services in the Ulster County community,” stated Sloan Saverine, Vice President and Senior Trust Officer of Key Private Bank.
The Benedictine Health Foundation, based in Kingston, NY, has supported healthcare programs and services since 1977. For further information, contact Barbara Klassen, Executive Director, at (845) 481-1303.
The Benedictine Health Foundation provided funding to Kingston High School to support a new Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative.
PBIS is a proactive systems approach to encouraging students to care for themselves and one another, and is designed to create a school culture where all students can achieve social, emotional, and academic success. The PBIS framework identifies desired target behaviors, defines them in specific school settings, and provides a process for staff to teach, model, recognize, and reinforce those behaviors. KHS will focus on teamwork, integrity, grace, empathy, respect and safety (TIGERS). The strategy has already been piloted in several KCSD elementary schools, and began at KHS this September.
Close to 200 faculty and staff members from Kingston High School gathered on the front steps of KHS on the first day wearing “KHS-PBIS” t-shirts. The visual impact of having hundreds of teachers carrying the same positive message on their shirt served to raise awareness amongst staff and students about this important effort.
For the past two years, Benedictine Health Foundation’s Kick for Mental Health Kickball Tournament held in June has helped raise funds needed to support adolescent mental health services, raising approximately $23,000 this year.
Amy Kapes, a KHS social worker, knows these efforts will have a lasting impact on students. “The Benedictine Health Foundation has helped us provide opportunities for students to build critical social-emotional and coping skills and participate in pro-social activities that build self-esteem and confidence. KHS is grateful for their ongoing support of PBIS and programs for teens in our community.”
For further information about the Benedictine Health Foundation, visit www.
Photo: KHS Faculty & Staff wear “KHS- PBIS” Shirts
Optimus Architecture located in Rhinebeck recently presented a $2,500 check to the Benedictine Health Foundation to purchase new furnishings for the Mental Health Services Unit at HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary’s Avenue Campus, Member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.
“Mental Health Services at HAHV is extremely grateful for the very generous donation from Optimus Architecture to be used towards new furnishings for the Clinical care areas throughout the department. Enhancements to these areas will provide spaces to promote wellness and recovery for our clients,” stated Arnell Tuttle RN-BC, BS, Administrative Director.
The Mental Health Inpatient units are comprised of a dedicated group of professionals including a Medical Director, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, activity therapists, social workers and mental health technicians. The inpatient unit operates in a team-focused, patient-centered environment where a forward looking approach to behavioral health is combined with compassionate and expert care. The 21-bed inpatient Acute Care Unit provides intensive psychiatric inpatient care and treatment, along with individual, group therapy, life skills, arts, and activities to patients in need of these services. The 19-bed Progressive Care Unit provides psychiatric inpatient care and treatment to patients who require a more open environment and anticipated discharge.
“We are thrilled to give back to our community keeping in tradition with so many multi-generation families in Kingston. It is important that we use our resources wisely to offer our community members the best education, employment and healthcare opportunities so they can grow their careers and families and continue this tradition,” stated David A. Souers, AIA, ACHA, ASHE, Principal Architect at Optimus.
Photo, L to R: Linda and David Souers, Optimus Architecture; Arnell Tuttle, HealthAlliance Mental Health Services; Robert J. Ryan, Jr. and Barbara Klassen, Benedictine Health Foundation
Benedictine Health Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce Ulster Savings Bank recently presented a $10,000 donation to the Kingston non-profit organization, once again confirming the financial institution’s unwavering commitment to quality healthcare.
The Benedictine Health Foundation, which promotes compassionate healthcare in Ulster Country, is made possible by the support from the community through donations like those of Ulster Savings Bank, as well as grants and fundraising events.
“The generous financial contribution made by Ulster Savings Bank will support our adolescent behavioral health initiatives, including a peer mentoring program being developed in partnership with Kingston High School and the HealthAlliance Adolescent Partial Program. The program focuses on youth-youth relationships where older students help younger students by guiding and supporting them in many areas of their academic, social, and emotional development,” stated Barbara Klassen, Executive Director of the Benedictine Health Foundation.
“Since its inception in 1977, the Benedictine Health Foundation has fulfilled its mission – to raise and distribute resources that will ultimately improve the physical, psychological and spiritual well-being of those who are vulnerable and underserved in Ulster County,” noted Glenn Sutherland, Ulster Savings Bank President and CEO. “We truly value our relationship with the Foundation, share their commitment to our community, and are grateful that we can lend our financial support to them in this way.”
Photo: L to R: Charles (Bud) Walker, Vice Chair and Glenn Sutherland, President and CEO, Ulster Savings Bank; Barbara Klassen, Executive Director, and Robert J. Ryan, Jr., President, Benedictine Health Foundation; and Mary Rose Warcholak, Executive Director, Ulster Savings Bank Charitable Foundation.
Local non-profit organizations were presented with donations from The Bank of Greene County’s Charitable Foundation at the Bank’s new Kingston branch location in Ulster County. On hand to present the awards were Donald Gibson (President), Jess Davis (Kingston Branch Manager), Perry Lasher (Commercial Lending Director), Sean DuBois (Commercial Lending Officer), Rob Agostinoni (Lending Manager), and John Werner (Lending Consultant). A total of $94,000 will be awarded this year from the Bank of Greene County’s Charitable Foundation to over 100 local non-profit organizations. And as part of the Grand Opening specials for the new branch, the Bank also donated $10 to a local charity for every new account opened during the promotional period.
The organizations receiving donations at this time were:
Since 1998, the Foundation has awarded close to $900,000 to fund a wide variety of projects benefiting and including education, health and wellness, social and civic services, culture, arts, and affordable housing. Applications are accepted each year between December 1st and January 15th. More information about The Bank of Greene County and the Charitable Foundation may be found at the Bank’s website www.tbogc.com.