Renewal Farm in Garrison, NY gives men in recovery from substance abuse a chance to rebuild their lives through organic farming. The men split their time between counseling and growing produce and flowers. After six months, they have improved self-esteem, work skills, and the chance to sell their harvest. The farm has been welcomed by the local community. One graduate found Renewal Farm to be the best thing for his recovery after years of addiction and incarceration.

1. matters
Summer 2009
Health, Homes and Jobs for Homeless New Yorkers
Putting
Down Roots: Renewal Farm Grows Hope
Thomas Gerard,
And lettuce and flowers. Now located in
Renewal Farm
Garrison, NY, Renewal Farm gives men
Graduate in recovery a chance to rebuild their
lives and their resume. The men split
“It all started 22 years ago with a bad their day between substance abuse coun-
choice. I was married, a responsible seling and hands-on experience growing
husband and father. Subsequently my organic produce and flowers. The coun-
ex-wife and I divorced but I stayed selors at St. Christopher’s Inn, a licensed
in touch with my children and lived treatment program, help the men pre-
a comfortable life. Then one night I pare for a future without drugs and al-
made a bad choice. At age 45, I tried cohol and provide the tools the men will
crack cocaine and fell instantly in love. need to succeed. After six months, the
I was on and off with that for the next men have seen the fruits of their labors: The farmstand gives clients a chance to meet neighbors and
8 years. renewed self-esteem, discipline, team learn customer service skills.
I did go into treatment and spent work, good work habits, and, of course,
22 months without using, but I failed harvesting and selling the vegetables,
and I went back to the crack cocaine herbs and flowers they have nurtured.
because I had no after-care or structure. The chefs at The Garrison are delighted
And it led to me taking someone’s life. with the produce, and local residents
I went to prison in 1995. I spent the and visitors stop by the farm stand on
next 12.5 years serving. I did the crime, Thursdays and Fridays to enjoy a freshly
I took responsibility and I knew that if I picked selection. “This has turned out to
kept using drugs, as available as they are be a terrific partnership.” reports David
in prison, I would never get out. So I Harrington, Director of Renewal Farm,
embarked on sobriety, getting back into “The community has welcomed us, and
those things I knew how to do best: we have made many friends here.”
working and getting involved. It was all If you’re passing through Garrison on
about me seeing my family again. a Thursday or Friday, stop by the Re-
In prison I became connected to the newal Farm stand and say hello. Details
church and spirituality. It helped me are on our website:www.projectrenewal.
through my darkest days: the isolation, org/addiction.html
the loneliness. I became a teacher’s Keeping potted plants watered in the greenhouse.
aide. I joined a Hispanic group and the
NAACP.
My final release date was January 2,
Stay Informed with our E-Newsletter!
2008. On January 7, I went to Renewal To follow the impact of your financial support of Project Renewal, subscribe to
Farm at St. Christopher’s Inn and that our monthly e-newsletter at www.projectrenewal.org. You’ll meet some of the
was the best thing that happened to people whose lives are changed because of the generosity of people like you.
“Putting Down Roots”...continued on 4

2. Friends and Donors Make This Year’s
Gala Another Success Story!
On June 11, 2009, Project Renewal
was pleased to host our 19th An-
nual Gala Benefit and Auction at the
Waldorf=Astoria. The annual event
raised over $650,000 to support Project
Renewal’s programs and services for
homeless New Yorkers.
A special taped message from our
friends at The Daily Show with Jon
Stewart delighted guests who enjoyed
the support of The Daily Show’s cast.
You can watch the greeting on our
website.
Following the video, guests wel-
comed this year’s Co-chairs, Claudia
Rosen and Mark Minter, who thanked
the Board and guests for their support Gala Committee Left to Right: Blair Stuart, Carl Rosoff, Mark Minter, Claudia Rosen, Colleen Cavanaugh, Anne Elser, Frederick
Volp, Robin Lee
in these difficult times. “We’ve all been
affected by the downturn of the past
year, and it’s no surprise that homeless
men and women in our city have felt
the impact, too,” Minter remarked.
“Your past support has helped us reach
thousands of men and women with life-
saving services. You have made many
success stories possible.”
Especially in light of the economic
downturn, we are grateful for the loyal
support of our friends and donors. A Trustee Nan Perell (center) attending with her daughter, son, Trustee James Davidson and Lyn McHugh
special thank you to all of this year’s and granddaughter.
volunteers, who helped us run the event
and to our in-kind donors who made
our Live and Silent Auctions possible.
Trustee Joseph Mack, Junior Board member Jeff Kirshen- Trustee Janet Tweed with Karen Del Prete, Gus Gusman, Sarah Schiller, Marc Schiller, and Max Ansbacher
baum, and Trustee Neil Mitchell
2 Project Renewal matters | Summer 2009

3. Gala Keynote Speaker Anthony Newton
A graduate of Project Renewal’s Safe Haven and an take care of myself. I learned I can’t use drugs, that
artist, Anthony Newton spoke eloquently to guests I needed medication to keep my positive focus.
about how Project Renewal changed his life. After I finally got the right medication to stabilize my
struggling with years of addiction and alcoholism and illness. This was a down home place I could relate
moving in and out of treatment programs, he was fi- to. This is what recovery was all about. I met with
nally diagnosed with bipolar, schizoaffective disorder. counselors and support groups every day. The staff
Thankfully, he made his way to Project Renewal. were professional. I looked up to them. They were
In his own words… honest and they really cared about me. When I told
“What was different about Safe Haven and Proj- them I was an artist, they worked with me to give
ect Renewal? Well, for one thing, Safe Haven just me space and supplies, to help me start painting
looked nice – compared to all the other places I’d again. They helped me get back in touch with my
been. But Safe Haven makes you think about your family. They gave me focus and said “Love yourself.”
next step. There was supervision and structure. I And that’s what I did. In one year, I worked on Anthony poses with his painting “Slice of Life,” the cover art
woke at 6:30 am, learned how to make my bed, recovering mentally, spiritually, and physically.” for this year’s Gala invitation and an auction item.
ScanVan Funding Cuts Hurt Women in Need
The ScanVan, our mobile breast cancer will be cut by $8.3 million next year. through NYS CSP. This means we have
and tuberculosis screening clinic, offers This will mean that uninsured women cut visits to community sites to four
screening at 150 sites serving predomi- who have been provided with annual, days a week from six.
nately minority, non-English speak- essential, and potentially life-saving As part of their “Caring Makes a
ing, and low-income men and women screening mammography on board our Difference” campaign, Colgate-Palmo-
without insurance. Sites mobile radiology van may be live partners with several community
include homeless shelters turned away. Last year we programs that provide free breast cancer
and drop-in centers where screened 3,200 uninsured screenings for women in need, includ-
we do chest x-rays for men women. This year we have ing our ScanVan. Colgate-Palmolive’s
and women as well. funding to cover only 1,200 support highlights the importance of
A victim of budget A cancer survivor aboard the ScanVan getting regular mammograms. You can
shortfalls, the New York receives a kiss from her son. “I am so thank- hear testimonials on our website at:
State Cancer Services Pro- ful for life. Everyday that you have breath in www.projectrenewal.org/whats_new.
gram (NYS CSP) budget your lungs is a good day.”
New It has been a year of ups and downs for
our MedVan, first destroyed by fire, then
clinic also has running water, phlebotomy
equipment, a centrifuge, a microscope, an
MedVan renewed by the generosity of our do-
nors who helped us rebuild. Now we are
EKG machine, a nebulizer and more.
Visiting 13 sites throughout Manhattan
Arrives pleased to report that the new MedVan has
arrived. Following licensing inspections, it
and Brooklyn, our MedVan is particularly
important for our clients’ transition from
will hit the streets with an 80 hour weekly homelessness to independent living, not
schedule. only in offering free, quality healthcare,
The new MedVan is a fully heated and but in introducing our clients to the other
air conditioned mobile medical clinic, forms of assistance available to them.
with wheelchair access, a restroom, two MedVan is a point of entry to our range of
private exam rooms, an intake area, a con- services, from job training to housing, as
sultation room, diagnostic equipment, and well as a key tool for helping clients attain
100 commonly prescribed “over-the-coun- good health.
ter” and prescription medications. The
Project Renewal matters | Summer 2009 3

4. “Putting Down Roots”....cont’d from 1
Project Renewal works because they
me. It was a great match. We went out provide a multitude of services. Not
Board of Trustees
every morning clearing away the land, only do you become sober, you can Mary Lynn Putney
cutting down trees and bush. I was find housing and employment. I have Chair
67, and I never thought in my wildest obtained an apartment. I’m back in the Neil S. Mitchell
dreams that I would be embarking on a community. It’s all because of Project Vice Chair
new career as farmer! We worked and Renewal and how they integrate you
Edward I. Geffner
participated in support groups four days with support mechanisms at all junc- President & CEO
a week. In April the land was starting tures. I’m back doing those things that
Bradley Abelow
to take shape and we planted our first normal people do. I’ll always remember
Alan Belzer
crops. That’s the idea of the program: this: I had taken a life, and I was given Russell S. Berman
get out in the fresh air, plant something a second chance at life. That’s very Suzanne Henry Boies
and see your work come before you and humbling. Colleen Cavanaugh
see the results. James S. Davidson
Michael Field
Helping Hands Anthony S. Kendall
The Hon. Richard B. Lowe, III
Joseph P. Mack
Food Drive Earl Monroe
Board Member Colleen Cavanaugh and Mark H. Minter
her colleague Jacqueline Siladji organized Nan Perell
a food drive at Western Asset Manage- Chuck Pol
Jules M. Ranz, MD
ment to stock the food pantry at Holland
Paul H. Rich
House, our supportive housing complex Claudia Rosen
for 307 men and women who are either Carl Rosoff
formerly homeless or have a very low income. Thank you to Colleen and Jackie and Marc L. Silverman, Esq.
everyone at Western Asset who participated! James W. Stevens
Caverly (Lee) Stringer
Antonio Tedesco
Planting a Garden for Samuel M. Wasserman
Our Clients
Junior Board
Board Member Carl Rosoff and his col-
Christopher Bellapianta
leagues at Cullen, spent an afternoon at Nicole Bonica
our Third Street Shelter planting a garden Thomas Evrard
for residents. Renewal Farm supplied the Kristin Fehrenbach
plants and containers. The space, which Brandl Frey
is often used for barbecues and events, Jeffrey Kirshenbaum
Robin Lee
has never looked better! Thank you Carl
David Rowley
and our friends at Cullen! Jenny Sharfstein
Nicholas Sklar
Anna Valeo
IMPRINTS Wants Your Business Frederick Volp
In April, 2009, our Next Step employment program re-launched its IMPRINTS
training program in a unique public-private venture with Workforce Enterprises
(WE-NYC), a commercial social enterprise specializing in document imaging. The
IMPRINTS program draws upon the expertise of NextStep and WE-NYC to pro-
vide clients a well-balanced program of technical training and support services. This
approach integrates classroom study with practical training in a ‘real world’ print
shop environment. 200 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014
Give IMPRINTS the opportunity to compete for your next printing, copying or 212-620-0340
scanning job. Call Joe Hunt at 212-586-4513. www.projectrenewal.org
4 Project Renewal matters | Summer 2009