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VCS History at a Glance
1970-2000
A Time Line
1970 - 1975
The "Volunteer Family Counseling Project" of the Family Service Association of Rockland County initiated as a Demonstration by Dr. Stephen Shapiro, Project Director, and Martin Eisman, Director of Family Service Association. The Ford Foundation funds this Demonstration. The initial members of the Project Committee include: Judge Stolarick, Mr. Olsen, Dr. August, Rev. Hausmann, Ms. Jaeger, Rev. Attenborough, Ms. Galves, Ms. Wyman, Mr. Mulholland, Ms. Tulevech, Mr. Frenchak
First group of 16 volunteers recruited, trained and assigned to work with 34 families
Fundraising activities and events are initiated to raise necessary operating funds
Project Committee of the Family Service Association completes the task of transforming the Project into a separate incorporated agency called Volunteer Counseling Service of Rockland County, Inc. Those involved in the process include Frank Loeb, Burton August, Marion Wyman, Elmer Hausmann, Sr. Laurina Hyland, Ronald Kahn, Robert Stolarick, Alfred Weiner, John Mulholland, Neil Hirshfeld
County of Rockland begins to fund VCS as a contract agency in its annual budget
Services expanded to 426 families and individuals by 108 trained volunteers
Agency moves into offices at 151 South Main Street in New City
1976 - 1980
Emerging emphasis on assisting victims of domestic violence
Liz Claiborne, Inc. starts a long history of annual giving to the agency
Post Divorce Parenting Program, Corporate Outreach Program and Volunteer Mediation Program initiated
By 1980, the VCS staff has grown to thirteen including Steve Shapiro, Simona Chazen, Phyllis B. Frank, Gail Golden, Edith Kling, Marjorie Lipson, Beverly Houghton, Judi Fisher, Sandy Raines, Pearl Feldman, Joan Cohen, Pamela Mann, Norma Pomerantz
Total people served grew by 1980 to 4,348
Rockland County Youth Bureau becomes a major funding source
1981- 1990
VCS becomes a member agency of United Way of Rockland
Phyllis Frank co-authors Confronting the Batterer: A Guide to Creating the Spouse Abuse Educational Workshop with Beverly Houghton
Federal and State budget cuts force VCS into an increased self-reliant and independent strategic planning process
Gail Golden appointed Clinical Director in 1982
Phyllis B. Frank provides domestic violence training programs across the country
In 1984, Steve Shapiro resigns his position as Executive Director after fourteen years of service
Annual Men's Conference held in seven successive years
André Watts plays a benefit concert for VCS at Montebello Park raising $20,500
Marjorie Lipson appointed Executive Director in 1985
FINS (Families in Need of Support) program initiated by Nancy Hulsizer
VCS receives the Eleanor Roosevelt Community Service Award Certificate of Merit
STOP FEAR Task Force initiated
Jerry and Simona Chazen become major benefactors to the agency
NYS Legislation creates a funding stream for batterers' programs in 1988
VCS Services to Older Adults and their Families are funded by the County's Office for the Aging
Number of people served increases to over 7,000 by 1990
1991- 1997
Anti-oppression work begin within and without of the agency
Surrogate Decision Making Program piloted by the state through the Center for Conflict Resolution
Children Cope with Divorce program initiated
Fathers' Group added to serve parents who abuse their children and their partners
8-week Batterers Intervention Program expanded to a weekly, on-going class
Multi-Cultural Training for Volunteers initiated
VCS buys an office building in New City
11,395 people served by the end of 1997
Orange County Batterers Intervention Program established
Undoing Racism Workshop introduced to Rockland County
National Training Institute for people who work with batterers designed and implemented
Mediation services are expanded to nine schools and to include arbitration programs
VCS Community Change Project initiated
Marjorie Lipson retires as Executive Director in 1997
1998 - 2001
Deborah Cary Murnion appointed as the 3rd Executive Director in 1998
The annual Gay Pride Rockland event is initiated in 1999
LGBT Counseling services initiated
Gail Golden organizes a community coalition to examine issues related to immigration
Agency reorganized into three departments: Clinical Services, Center for Conflict Resolution and Community Change Project
Undoing Racism Workshop presentations expand to school districts
30th Anniversary celebrated at a Gala Dinner honoring Simona and Jerry Chazen, Gail Golden, Phyllis Frank, and Steve Shapiro resulting in the largest fund raising revenue in VCS history
By the end of 2000, VCS is providing services to the following counties: Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Westchester, Kings, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island
VCS responds to the September 11th national tragedy, training staff and volunteers to provide post traumatic stress services resulting from World Trade Center disaster
2002 - 2003
The VCS Bobbi Lewis Program: Mothering in a New Country is funded by Barry Lewis in honor of his dearly departed wife
Rockland Immigration Coalition initiated by Gail Golden, opens the Day Laborer Center at St. Paul’s Church in Spring Valley
LGBT Community Education Series sponsors seven presentations throughout the 2002 including the hugely successful showing of the film ‘Trembling Before G-d” to a sold out crowd at the Helen Hayes Theatre
VCS Conflict Management in the Schools Program receives a $25,000 grant from Provident Bank
Rockland Student Advocacy Program begins with funding through the Rockland County Youth Bureau
Dr. Joy Leary gives a riveting presentation on her theory of Post Traumatic slave Syndrome in 2002 and 2003, each time to a standing room only crowd at RCC
VCS Relatives as Parents Program begins late in 2001 and flourishes throughout 2002, exceeding projections
The Honorable C. Scott Vanderhoef and Amy Baldwin Littman, Esq. are honored at the Annual VCS fundraising dinner in 2003.
Shortly after the US invaded Iraq, VCS offered support groups for families with loved ones in the military
With funding through the United Way Vision Grant, VCS trained and supervised Jawonio consumers who lead peer support groups in Jawonio facilities
Website www.gaypriderockland.org makes information available on a continuously updated basis
The VCS Domestic Violence Classes for Men Program is provided in Rockland as well as Westchester and Orange Counties
VCS Center for Conflict Management in the Schools Program is generously funded by Provident Bank
Gay Pride Rockland continues to grow as a community event
Susan Devine, SDMC Program Coordinator is chosen as one of Rockland’s “Forty under Forty”
2004 - 2005
Dr. Gail Golden, VCS Clinical Director, receives the Life Time Achievement Award form the National Association of Social Workers New York Chapter
United Way of Rockland awards VCS a Vision Grant to support the Madre a Madre Proyecto
Phyllis B. Frank, Assistant Executive Director honored by Out Magazine for her advocacy in the LGBT Community and by Governor George Pataki with the 2004 Justice, Freedom and Courage Award to End Domestic Violence
Center for Student Development initiated under a grant form the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services
Center for Conflict Resolution trains twenty new alternative dispute resolution volunteers
Congresswoman Nita Lowey secures a Federal Legislative Earmark to ensure that the entire VCS building is handicapped accessible
New York State Association of Family Service Agencies elects Deborah Cary Murnion as President
2004 fundraising events include the First Annual VCS Golf Tournament and the Annual Honorary Dinner Dance celebrating the contributions of Sam Simon, Kevin McNulty and Dr. Marc Tarle
Author Ann Wilson publishes an article “Trained Volunteers as Mental Health Counselors: Addressing the Enormous Shortage of Trained Counselors” focusing on the VCS model in Affilia (Vol. 20, Issue 4)
NY Model for Batterer Programs website is launched (www.nymbp.org)
Collaboration between the Center for Court Innovation and the Community Change Project results in a national survey of how courts hold men accountable for crimes of domestic violence
Gay Pride Rockland attracts its first corporate sponsor: here! TV
United Way of Rockland awards VCS with a Vision Grant to implement an Elder Care Mediation Program
Stay tuned for future highlights in the years to come!
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