The gift was announced by Jane Davey Hamilton Warriner and Edward Klees of Philadelphia, whose brother, Peter Hamilton, had lived at Pathfinder Village from 1998 to 2005. Before a packed room Friday evening at The Otesaga Resort Hotel, Cooperstown, Ms. Warriner and Mr. Klees related their experiences with Pathfinder Village:
“Founding Chief Executive Officer Marian Mullet and an inspired Board of Directors had a vision that created Pathfinder in 1980. Thirty years later, Pathfinder and its residents have matured. Jane and I recognized this change, and after meeting with current CEO Paul Landers to discuss the aging demographic, and hearing his vision for Pathfinder’s future, we realized our goals are almost identical: To address the residents’ long term needs as they age; to provide expanded family support, education and outreach services; and to provide specialized training and support for staff. … We have committed ourselves to helping Pathfinder accomplish these goals and to raise the funds necessary to support Pathfinder’s families, staff, and most importantly, the residents,” said Mr. Klees.
Ms. Warriner added, “We are very honored to be giving this gift to Pathfinder. Thank you very much for the love, care and support you gave Peter, and your friendship throughout the years. Pathfinder is a wonderful place that transforms lives.” She also issued a challenge to other Village families and donors to raise an additional $2 to $3 million to support the goals of eldercare. Through the Village’s three decades, its age-demographic has shifted to coincide with the increased longevity of individuals with Down syndrome from age 9 in 1929 to over 50 today (National Institutes of Health). Over half the Village’s population is now over 35 years old.
Paul Landers said, “It’s difficult to express a level of gratitude that comes close to matching this level of generosity. Pathfinder Village has been blessed to have so many individuals step up and meet the needs of this community year-after-year, it’s quite remarkable. This family is not only making a financial commitment to Pathfinder, but they have pledged their time and energy to help us fulfill our mission. This level of generosity is extraordinary! The Jane Davey Hamilton Endowment is a significant step towards Pathfinder becoming complete as a community care model. It’s just the right thing to do!”
During the Anniversary weekend, Mr. Landers spoke of other goals for the Village: To promote the Village as an affordable, successful model that offers individuals with disabilities a supportive and inclusive lifestyle; to expand the Village’s role in the disability community; to offer new programs for summer and college-style learning experiences; and to increase the Village population to 95 residents and maintain Village school enrollment of 30 students. On a larger scale, Mr. Landers would like to create a new Town Square complex at the Village, which will include a new health clinic and community fitness center, a resource for the residents and local communities. Other possibilities for the Town Square include; expanded café/bakery, art studio and gallery, community theatre, day program for older individuals and independent living apartments/condominiums.
Mr. Landers said, “Pathfinder Village is a successful model of care that has demonstrated positive outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome and developmental disabilities for 30 years. Like all businesses, Pathfinder has to stay current, has to respond to the changes in the disability community, and we have to share with others our success.”
The 30th Anniversary celebration also featured keynote speaker Andrea Roberts of the advocacy group, Reece’s Rainbow, which works to raise funds to support international adoptions of children who have Down syndrome by “forever families” in the United States and Canada. Mrs. Roberts was featured last March in People Magazine’s “Heroes Among Us” column, and is “in the running” for the magazine’s Hero of the Year Contest.
The mother of a young son, Reece, who was born with Down syndrome, Mrs. Roberts related how she learned that most children born with intellectual disabilities in non-developed countries are left at orphanages, where they receive inadequate care and few educational or therapeutic support services. Most of these children die within a year. To save these children, she founded a 501c3 organization to find these children and share their stories with the world. To date, Reece’s Rainbow has helped place over 300 children with Down syndrome in adoptive homes.
“When I saw what was happening in foreign countries, I asked, ‘Who am I to do this?’ But then I realized God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. And now, what is happening is that the directors of the orphanages that we work with are realizing the potential of these children, and they are contacting us when they receive a child with Down syndrome. Who knows, with what is happening and through a lot of work, someday I can even see a Pathfinder Village in the Ukraine or in Bulgaria.”
Pathfinder Village continued its Anniversary Celebration Saturday with a “Friends and Family Day” in Edmeston, which included traditional dance workshops, art displays, program service workshops, and a presentation by the Center for Self Expression, a day program offered by The Arc Otsego, Oneonta. The two-day Anniversary celebration was sponsored by New York Central Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Edmeston, and James and Barbara Edwards, Greenwich, Connecticut; Michael and Margaret Nicolais, New York; Thomas and Alison Novack, Norwood, New Jersey; Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, New Berlin; and Thomas and Laurel Scott, Annapolis, Maryland. The celebration culminated with a fireworks display, sponsored by Federated-Clover Investment Advisors of Rochester, New York.
Pathfinder Village opened on July 29, 1980 following five years of planning, fund raising, and working with state officials by parents and board members. Through quality residential, educational, vocational, and recreational programs, individuals living at the Village grow towards fulfillment and independence, while giving back to local communities.
The Village is licensed by the State of New York and its programs are regulated by the State Department of Education, Department of Health, and the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities. It is located on New York State Route 80, two miles east of Edmeston and 15 miles west of Cooperstown. For more information, please contact Joseph V. Mahon, Vice President–Development, at (607) 965-8377, ext. 114, or email jmahon@pathfindervillage.org.
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