Life After Military Life

Hello. My name is Luis Crossman. I was a crew chief in the U.S. Air Force. On time flight maintenance and cleanliness were priority one. We performed with pride in Vietnam, as well as Taiwan, Okinawa, Thailand, Korea and the Philippines.

Seeing soldiers in body bags was a lot to bear; the condition of many was horrible. I came home after suffering from a nervous breakdown. It did not take long before I ended up being a part of the drug society. Eventually I was evicted from my home, a beautiful one family house. I ended up on Wards Island, and later was transferred to the Borden Avenue Residence for Veterans. It was a long two year period in the shelter system.

After having surgery for a hip replacement, I promised myself not to return to Borden.  Two months after my discharge from the hospital I was accepted to the SUS residence at Knickerbocker, where I have been a resident for 8 months. My recovery continues though attendance in an Integrated Dual Diagnostic Treatment Group which has provided me with the peace-of-mind that has been long in coming. The encouragement to achieve once again and a steady daily routine have brought me love and respect for myself.

Presently, I’m waiting for permanent housing. I have my fingers-crossed it will come soon. Meanwhile, I’ve joined a Diabetes Group which helps me with my diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I, and the other veterans, record our daily meals, tracking them in an online log. Our progress in maintaining a healthy body is monitored by a staff member and a  nurse.

I’d like to give a special shout-out to Ms. Ware, Program Manager at Knickerbocker, and  her staff – Ms. Hughes, Ms. Dunlap, Ms. Ward, Ms. Francis, and Ms. Kelley. We can’t forget what happens in the kitchen, right Ms. Clark? They all have my thanks and gratitude.

Nicole Made It To Her PromBy Gracie President, Day Habilitation Specialist.

At the SUS Young Adult After School Program in the Bronx, I work with teens with Developmental Disabilities to increase their practical skills – communication, self-preservation, community awareness, independent living and pre-vocational abilities – while reducing barriers to community inclusion. The program at Lydig provides 10 young adults aged 13 – 21 with homework assistance and recreational activities. Every day is different – you never know what to expect. The aim of everything we do is to integrate individuals into mainstream community activities, with the necessary support services. The work can be tough, but seeing the difference that SUS is making in the lives of our consumers is incredibly rewarding. Ultimately, the teenagers in the program want the same things that all teenagers want – to spend time with their friends, to do well in school, to graduate and go to prom. I wanted to share one of our success stories with you.

Recently, a teenager in the after school program, Nicole, told us that she was not able to attend her prom, because her family did not have the money to pay for it. Her family had managed to scrape together enough money for her ticket, but could not afford to buy her an outfit. Nicole was desperate to go to prom with the rest of her graduating class, and spend the evening celebrating her success over the last year with her friends and peers.

The Lydig team was determined that Nicole would go to the prom! SUS’ very own Louis Cavaliere stepped in and graciously decided to pay for Nicole’s dress out of his own pocket – and the hunt for the dress began! The whole Lydig team pulled together to make Nicole’s prom night as special as possible. I did her hair and painted her nails, and the rest of the team came out to meet her at her house and cheer on our star as she went to the prom. Nicole danced the night away, and had so much fun she could not even make it to the After School Program the next day – now that’s what I call a party!

Nicole said that having the staff from Lydig there to cheer her off to her prom is something she will never forget, joining the Lydig program is the best thing that has happened to her this year. Nicole’s family and teachers have stated that Nicole has displayed positive growth as a young lady since attending the SUS program – she has come out of her shell and displays more self confidence. We are so pleased that we could make a difference!