Markeshia Ricks Photos
Chapel Haven residents join Mike Storz in thanking the Schleifer Family Foundation Tuesday.
The future Schleifer Adult Independent Living, or SAIL, facility will open in December 2019.
Chapel Haven not only has a new physical campus near the corner of Emerson and Whalley Avenue. It now has a new name and will soon have a new program as well.
After 46 years as “Chapel Haven,” the Westville haven for adults with disabilities learning to live independently will now be known as the “Chapel Haven Schleifer Center. “
Residents, their parents, supporters, and neighbors learned that information Tuesday during an open house and groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the end of the first phase of the ongoing campus transformation that kicked off a little over a year ago and the start of the second phase.
Harriet Schleifer.
The Schleifer Family Foundation had already committed more than $10 million to Chapel Haven. The second phase of the project, a four-story, 46,000 square foot residential facility, will bear the family’s name and be known as the Schleifer Adult Independent Living (SAIL) facility. It’s a key part of the campus transformation as it will allow adults with disabilities to age in place.
Harriet Schleifer, who serves on the Chapel Haven Board, said that the foundation thought it was important to the future of Chapel Haven to donate more money and lend its name to the campus in a bigger way to leverage opportunities to keep the center competitive with other programs for years to come.
“We all have the same wishes and dreams,” she said. “We want to provide the very best for our adults.”
Chapel Haven Board President Peggy Baker with Diana Davis Spencer, Mayor Harp and Comptroller Keven Lembo.
The Schleifers weren’t the only Chapel Haven family making news Tuesday. Karen and Steve Gardener announced that they are donating up to half a million dollars over the next 15 years, and are willing to match half a million more to establish a health and wellness program at the center. Their son Andy is a Chapel Haven alum who lives semi-independently and thrived in many ways, they said via a video. But Andy struggled with his physical fitness as many adults with autism do. The Gardeners said they hope that having a dedicated coordinator at Chapel Haven will make a difference for all of the residents.
Former pro-baller Art Still is helping with the new fitness program.
The center will be working with former pro-footballer Art Still, corporate physical fitness trainer Greg Justice, and Autism Fitness founder Eric Chessen.
“We are literally transforming our ability to serve adults into their senior years, in a vibrant and non-institutional setting,” Chapel Haven President Michael Storz said. “I couldn’t be prouder of all that has been accomplished to date. We could not have gotten this far without the generous support of our donors, our families and the city and state leaders who continue to champion our cause.”
Board Chair Peggy Baker with Diana Davis Spencer, who’s family foundation helped fund the REACH facility.
Rich and Kim LaManna, son-in-law and daughter of Diana Davis Spencer and Chapel Haven alums.
As part of Tuesday’s festivities, people got to tour the recently completed REACH (Residential Education at Chapel Haven) facility. The 32,500 square foot residential and classroom building features new apartments, learning spaces, a student lounge, and teaching apartment. The Diana Davis Spencer Family Foundation helped fund the REACH building.
Eugene Torone of SLAM Construction Services said that construction of the first phase was originally projected to have taken 24 months; it was completed from design to move-in in just 16 months. He noted that it took 14,803 man hours to design the REACH facility and another 65,228 to construct it. (Read about the opening of the new welcome center here.)
“And 5,262,” he said, “is the number of black hairs I have that turned to gray.”
Kevin Lembo.
Participants Tuesday did not get to break ground on the forthcoming Schleifer Adult Independent Living, or SAIL, facility, which will be the state-of-the-art intergenerational residential. The outdoor festivities got rained out.
“I’m sorry we can’t be outside,” said State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, a former Chapel Haven parent. “We’ve got a tent. We’ve got to think of a different use for it.”
“How about a dance later?” Chapel Haven President Mike Storz said, jokingly.
“Yeah!” residents cheered. Someone shouted, “What time?”
Lembo asked, “What should I wear?” drawing chuckles from the audience.
Lembo noted that things have certainly changed in the development of upper Whalley Avenue since the time he was making the drive to check on his son, Matt. He said back then the trip from Amity to Chapel Haven was a bit desolate, and he wondered what would ever become of it.
“Now you drive down, because the leadership of the mayor and the Board of Alders, you see stuff happening,” he said. “And that is in no small part because of all of you. You’re doing your laundry. You’re going out to eat and doing things we all want to do.”
He said the work that Chapel Haven does touches the core of a simple idea: “We all want to live and be happy and have a circle of friends to help us on that journey.”
Mayor Harp.
Mayor Toni Harp said she’s been a “Chapel Haven cheerleader” for many years, noting that its beginning coincides very closely to her own arrival in New Haven over 40 years ago.
“I have had the good fortune to watch your good work and watch your growth,” she said. “Chapel Haven is another shining example of what New Haven has come to stand for in terms of its embrace of all populations with every new group each a subset of an existing group that needs a helping hand.”