Queens Centers for Progress Celebrates 65 Years of Service

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 20, 2014

It all began in 1950, when a group of concerned parents banded together to seek much-needed services for their children with cerebral palsya lifelong disorder that affects muscle control, movement, and learning abilities and is typically caused by damage to the brain either during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

Initially called United Cerebral Palsy of Queens (UCPQ), this nonprofit agency opened their first Childrens Center in a storefront on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica. In 1952, they moved to the basement of a wood frame house in Queens (now affectionately known as the haunted house) and provided educational and therapeutic services to children with cerebral palsy in consultation with local hospitals.

Natalie Katz Rogers, the First Lady of UCPQ, first got involved with the agency soon after its formation, organizing a Volunteer Motor Corps to transport children from their homes to their treatment. A dynamic commercial real estate developer with tremendous organizational ability, Katz Rogers played a key role in several areas of the fledgling agencygetting local doctors, therapists and teachers involved, hiring an Executive Director, and recruiting new board members. She even participated in the first fundraising telethon, which featured television personality Dennis James as emcee. In 1953, Natalie was elected President of UCPQs Board of Directors.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the agency grew exponentially in both the number of individuals served and the diversity of programs provided. It was amazing how fast we grew during this time, Katz Rogers recalls. I didnt know much about medical matters, and I didnt even have a family member with cerebral palsy, but I knew I was good at organizing and that, to be successful, we needed to be more structured. So I sought out talented people who could provide the educational, medical, and vocational services, as well as the funding for the facilities that our clients needed, and enlisted hundreds of community volunteers.

Leaving the presidency in 1958, Katz Rogers became Chair of the Building Committee and oversaw the construction of their first fully dedicated building, named the Childrens Center, at 82-25 164th Street in Jamaica, which initially provided therapy and educational training for children. Katz Rogers found the property and, because funds were severely limited, secured the architect, and recruited construction people to do the design/build for a minimal fee. As the number of programs grew, and the children themselves got older, the building was doubled in size in 1966 to accommodate vocational and facility-based training workshops for adults.

In the 1970s, as the de-institutionalization movement allowed many with disabilities to leave state-run institutions and live in the community, the agency expanded their services beyond those with cerebral palsy to include individuals with other physical and developmental challenges.

In 1974, a new training and treatment center was built to accommodate the growing number of adults in need of vocational and life-skills training. In tribute for all her tireless work and contributions, the board decided to name the building after Katz Rogers, despite her pleas to the contrary. I yelled and screamed at everyone to name the building differently, she says with a laugh, but they insisted. So I jokingly suggested they call it the Katz Meow. Now, Im incredibly proud that it bears my name and I truly consider it an honor.

Throughout the 1980s, as the people UCPQ served continued to age, the agency added services for seniors with developmental disabilities, emphasizing community-based recreation and health education. Residential services were added in 1979 with the opening of the Robert T. Groh Residence in Jamaica Estates, and the agency now operates six intermediate care facilities and three individual residential alternatives that serve 78 adults with developmental disabilities. Each residence provides a safe home-like environment where individuals can increase their daily living skills, relax after returning from daytime activities, and participate in recreational and social activities.

In 1989, the Daniel Wieder Center at Bellerose was opened to provide day habilitation as well as five residences housing 50 people. Today, over 320 individuals attend day habilitation services at the Bellerose and Jamaica facilities.

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Queens Centers for Progress Celebrates 65 Years of Service