FIVE QUESTIONS
Five Questions with Karen Carpenter Palumbo: Karen Carpenter Palumbo is the president and CEO of Vanderheyden, a multi-service agency based in Wynantskill that is celebrating its 185th anniversary.
1How is Vanderheyden celebrating its 185th anniversary?
The 185th anniversary campaign is a two year-long celebration of Vanderheyden’s past, present and future. Our message – “Celebrating the past and imagine MORE” – has guided a range of initiatives designed to build positive awareness of Vanderheyden. The initiatives include a legacy book to honor Vanderheyden’s history and to educate the general public about our organization and our work assisting children, individuals and families; an employee recognition campaign that honors and thanks staff members for going the extra mile each week by designating them as Royal Stars every Friday; an historical Vanderheyden exhibit that will open on October 25, 2018at the Rensselaer County Historical Society. Vanderheyden has also launched a campaign to raise $1.85million to support two major initiatives: a career center and housing program for young adults who are aging out of foster care.
2What does the Rensselaer County Historical Society exhibit on Vanderheyden include?
Our Legacy Exhibit includes curated items drawn from Vanderheyden’s vast historical archives through the 1800s. We’ve included period objects such as the 1865Meneely Bell, which was rung each time a new child arrived at the Troy Orphan Asylum. We are featuring items from the original complex such as a church pew, Bible, Bible stand and items from the 1893cornerstone. A slide show will document photographs from daily life in the 1800s, and panels will trace the history of the Troy Orphan Asylum to Vanderheyden Hall and to Vanderheyden.
3What is the Remembering the Children of the Past legacy campaign?
This is a special 185th anniversary initiative for Vanderheyden. Thousands of children had lived and been cared for at the Troy Orphan Asylum. A sad footnote to that history is that approximately 250children had died of natural causes from 1836to 1954. They
were buried in pauper areas of local cemeteries with no grave stones. We have located most of these children and will honor them with a memory/grave stones. These stones will demonstrate that Vanderheyden values and celebrates the children of the past as much as it values and celebrates the children of the present day. All past and present children are part of a family, part of Vanderheyden and, whether in life or death, all children matter.
4How can someone help Vanderheyden in its mission? Vanderheyden’s mission is to provide a safe haven for youth, young adults and families that have experienced family disruption, trauma, abuse, emotional difficulty, developmental disability and learning problems. Our services are provided through various residential and community programs in more than 30 counties. Those wanting to help us in our mission have a range of ways to do so. Currently, we are searching for 185individuals/corporations to become a member of our “1833Society” to honor the year of our founding with a donation of $1,833. Everyone becoming an 1833Society Member will be listed in the Legacy Book. You can join Honorary Chair E. Stewart Jones, in purchasing a ticket for our 185th Anniversary Exhibit and Cocktail Reception on Thursday, Oct. 25th from 6 pm to 8pm at the Rensselaer County Historical Society in Troy. Or simply make a general donation of any amount. All these suggestions can be completed through our website at www.vanderheyden.org
5What is your goal for the future of Vanderheyden?
We have great goals for the future of Vanderheyden, including two major initiatives: Vanderheyden is in the process of building a Career Center that will assist individuals to discover and develop themselves for employment, learn knowledge and skills in focused career groups and provide services to area employers in need of capable employees. Vanderheyden will be building Young Adult Independent Living Apartments for those that “age out” of foster care. These individuals over the age of 21have been affected by abuse, trauma or emotional disturbances. This group no longer has advocates or services available to them, and these individuals are at high risk for abuse, drug addiction and homelessness.
Both projects support Vanderheyden’s mission “to empower youth, adults and families to build brighter futures” and remind us of our past. In 1833, 52women of Troy created the Troy Orphan Asylum because they saw children without food, clothing or housing. In that same spirit, Vanderheyden is responding to the needs of youth today to find employment and have a safe place to live. Through our $1.85 million campaign to create a career center and housing program, Vanderheyden will continue to change lives…to save lives.