Announcements | page 3
Diversity | page 3
Housing Unit Update | page 4
The Bottom Line | page 5
New Member Interviews | pages 6-7
Macy’s Trip | page 6
Employment & Education Unit Update| page 8
Photos | page 9
Café Unit Update & Menu | pages 10 & 11
Café Star & Recipe | page 12
Creative Writings| pages 14-18
Memoir | page 19
Picture Puzzle | back page
GAZETTE
The Chelton
GAZETTE May 2013
CheltonLoft | A Fedcap Proram
The Chelton Loft is a voluntary clubhouse program open to adults
with a history of serious mental illness, with or without chemical de-pendency, and including those with a history of homelessness.
Members and staff of the Loft work together to create an environ-ment that supports people’s growth and development.
The Chelton Gazette is designed and produced monthly by Loft
members to showcase the talents and insights of our community. If you’d like to subscribe, please email [email protected].
CONTRIBUTORS
Md Hasan, Katie W., Myrna Pinchinat, Felicia B., Le nny Twin White, Joey Sanders, Connie, Joanie Freudenstein, L aura V., Neville, Richard Katz, Esmeralda, Ms. Elizabeth P., Sherlock Walcott, Declan, Dankwa Owusu Ansah, Felicia D, Bob Coz-
zolino, Mark Rosenberg & Larry Neals, Laura F
A group from Bellevue Hospital is visiting
Chelton Loft – May 2nd at 12pm
A group from CUCS,
The Christopher is vis-iting Chelton Loft – May
1st at 11am
New Member Orienta-tion- May 8th at 11am New Member Orienta-tion- May 22nd at 11am
Membership Presenta-tion at the Blake Ave-nue Shelter (SUS) –
May 8th at 3pm
Cover
Art By Myrna Pinchinat
The United
S t a t e s
is a
f u n
place to
be. One
sees peo-
ple of all colors
and all denominations.
As an immigrant, I
view this country into
a pageantry; as most
of us has an encoun-
ter daily. I feel very
blessed to be in this
understanding and op-
portunity.
[Myrna Pinchinat
drew the Cover
Art of
t h i s
month’s
Gazette
based on
this theme
of Diversity.]
Housing Unit Update
The Chelton Loft By Felicia B. [This was inspired by Ms.Lillie M] When I first learned about the Loft from my psychiatrist it seemed at first like a dream come true. I have never imagined a place so well organized, friendly and helping the mental illness. My first day I felt this energy in the place that I loved the staff were welcom-ing and also hands on with everything I needed to know and needed help with. One thing I love is that staff doesn’t treat anyone as a mental client they don’t baby you, they help you learn things without having to hold
your hand the whole way through. It makes me proud to walk in everyday and be able to ask if anyone needs help in anything some projects are hectic but with the right directions and instructions it’s al-ways a job well done. This place does not feel like a mental facil-ity it feels like a place that challenges our mental and also mak-ing us better at helping others as well as our-selves. I have learned a lot in this place and also met members who have been here for years and hoping to be a member myself for some years to come. I refer other people from my shelter which is a mental health facility that offers us nothing
but a bed, medication, coloring and television with microwavable foods. I let others know how the Loft is and what they have to offer they are not out to get us but to get us the help we so desirable need. A lot of people have been interested in this program and it makes me feel good to attend and watch oth-ers come and attend also the loft motivates me it gives me a piece of mind and I see a fu-ture being involved with such a dedicated program.
By Lenny Twin White
The bottom line is the New York police sucks. They get away with murder. They are very abusive to peo-ple. They lie about everything. So, if they get caught for doing
the crime, they should go to jail. For instance, the NYPD police officer who raped the lady at Soho went to jail. That’s the bottom line. The NYPD kill people for no reason sometimes. They should go to jail. But
unfortunately, some-times they don’t. A NYPD officer also raped a school-teacher in a night-club. Michael Pena took advantage of the lady because she was drunk. That’s the bot-tom line.
HOUSING UNIT MEETINGS WILL BE HELD DAILY AT:
10AM & 1:45PM
Please come prepared to volunteer & learn new tasks!!!
OPINION PAGE
Please welcome our new May Members! Diego R. Diaz
Declan O’Nil Melendez
Steven Montgomery Michael
Anne George
Deniene Sarjeant Jeremiah Richardson
New Member Interview with Gale Martin By Joey Sanders What brought you to the Loft? My therapist. And I like the idea of helping others and I get helped too. Which units do you like the best so far? I like the Membership unit. Do you want to volunteer in an-other unit? I’m interested in the Housing unit as well. I’m looking for housing myself. I just got in the paper-work for that. I like the staff here. They’re like one big happy fam-ily. They’re on a first name basis and that’s nice.
What kind of work have you done in the past? I was in the health field, nursing. I really enjoyed it but there was an incident where I hurt my back. Is finding work one of the reasons you came to the Loft? No, it wouldn’t be a good idea now. Have you met any nice, friendly people so far? Some people are friendly, some people I don’t feel comfortable with. But that’s the way of the world. I’ve only seen about fif-teen people since I’ve been here. What activities do you enjoy? I like all kinds of music. I like museums, movies, and reading. I’d like to be able to ride a bike again. I like walking as far as I can.
Macys TripMacys TripMacys TripMacys Trip By Connie I went on the C train with my friend to Macys 34th street last weekend. We usually gaze at the 1st floor perfume and co-logne department. What caught my eyes was the Clinique little light pink lip gloss for seventeen dollars. I took the escalator to the 6th floor and saw Calvin Klein, DKNY, and blue Levis jeans. Me and my friend celebrated her birth-day with cheesecake at the Asian restaurant and bakery. There were a lot of taxicabs outside in the front.
GraduationGraduationGraduationGraduation By Connie When I was in the sixth grade, I wore a pink dress for my graduation. Me and my mother bought the pink dress from Mays on DeKalb Avenue. Everybody looked perfect and dressed well on that special day. The reason why I remem-bered the pink dress, was be-cause it was pinkish and it was well made. They were re-leased early.
Interview with new member Jeremiah Richardson By Joey Sand-ers Q: What do you like about the Loft? A: It’s a nice place to hang out at. I like the Health & Wellness meetings that Peter conducts. I went to two. One on smoking cessation, which was very inter-esting, and another on how to stay healthy. Q: How long have you been coming to the Loft? A: A month-and-a-half. Q: Which unit do you like the best so far? A: I like all the units. My goal is to explore each one. Q: What kind of work have you done in the past? A: When I was fifteen I worked at Metropolitan Hospital as an intern in the HR department. I was there for 3-4 years. I did
numerous things. As an office aid I would do administrative and clerical duties; escort pa-tients, and make appointments for them, as well as intake and evaluation forms. Then I worked at Gristedes as a grocer, and then worked at a pharmacy for ten years. I liked communicating with customers, and supervising sales reps, and finding out about products online, and educating people, which was my main focus. I informed sales people about the inventory and was like a con-sultant. I worked on the floor a lot and over the counter as well in the back and front of the store. I’d show inspectors around. But unfortunately it was a small store and it went out of business. My main goal is to get back to work and find housing. I had major knee surgery on my ACL and I am in a shelter now. Their resources aren’t helpful. I also
want to pursue higher education. I’d like an Associate Degree in Communications and then Business Opera-tions. My first choice is Hunter College, and then Bronx Community College.
Q: What activities do you en-joy? A: I like listening to music. I like R&B, pop, and relaxing jazz, and listening to Hot 97 and 102.5. I like Alicia Keys. Q: What do you think about the Loft so far? A: The people are really nice here and the staff is very nice, and they’re trying to provide services for us. Q: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself? A: I used to write articles at my high school about the staff and high school life. Maybe I could do something like that for the gazette. I went to The High School for the Humanities on West 18th which has since closed.
Employment & Education Unit Update
By Joanie Freudenstein In all the years that I have been employed, I never received satisfac-tion from the work. I am a social person and sec-retarial jobs were lonely. It was not until the 1990’s that I volunteered for a nursing home called Shoreview in Brighton Beach. This was the most rewarding position which was a vol-unteer position. I volun-teered in the therapeutic recreation department playing piano for the seniors and staff.
I did friendly visiting for mostly ladies. These ladies had such a pow-erful influence on; two ladies in particular. I still remember their names; Sarah O and Tessie H and Elsie S.
These ladies were so appreciative of my keeping them com-pany and boosting their spirits that I adopted 3 additional grandmothers. When they passed away, I was devastated and crying my eyes out. I became too emotionally
close to these 3 women. They had such a strong, powerful influ-ence on me; I still re-member Sara O trying to dance in her wheel-chair. She stood up with her bulky diaper, and with all her might (she was skinny and frail) she became fa-mous among her peers for a desire to live and have fun.
From top, left
to right: “Bush
& World Trade
Center, 2001,”
“Flag in Store
Window, 2001,”
“Mystic, Connecti-
cut, 1992,” “New
Hampshire,
1992,” “Montreal,
1999,” “Toronto
from a Torrow,”
“Toronto, 1999,”
“Mystic, Connecti-
cut, 1992,”
“Montreal,”
“Mystic, Connecti-
cut, 1992“
“Vermont, 1990s“
“Vermont, 1992“
MILK OFFERED WITH EACH MEAL — POT LUCK LUNCHES ON SATURDAY Mon Tue
6 Lunch: Tortellini with Pesto Sauce & Mixed Vegetables, Garlic Bread Oranges
7 POLICY MEETING 2:30 ART CLASS 3-4:15PM CHERUB IMPROV 6 pm Lunch: Turkey Sandwich & Cheese on Wheat Bread, Lettuce & Tomato, Cu-cumber Salad, Bananas Dinner: Smothered Chicken & Mashed Potatoes Chicken, Potato & String Beans, Wheat Bread, Apples Apples
13 Lunch: Chicken Nuggets & Broccoli, Corn on the Cob, Apples, Wheat Bread
14 POLICY MEETING 2:30 ART CLASS 3-4:15PM CREATIVE WRITING 5:45pm Lunch: Sausage Stew: Chicken Sausage w/Onions ,Green Peppers, Corn, Ap-plesauce ,Wheat Bread Dinner: Tacos with Refried Beans, Lean Beef, Shredded Lettuce, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Rice, Tomato Salsa, Mango orange fruit salad
20 Lunch: Veggie Burger & Sweet Potatoes, Lettuce & Tomato, Side Garden Salad Orange
21 POLICY MEETING 2:30 ART CLASS 3-4:15PM Lunch: French Ham & Egg Sandwich on Wheat String beans , Banana Dinner: Vegetable Lasagna, Green Salad, Wheat Bread, Tropical Fruit Salad
27
Happy Memorial Day (Chelton Loft closed)
28 POLICY MEETING 2:30 ART CLASS 3-4:15PM 1:30 pm EMPLOYMENT UNIT ORIENTATION Lunch: Ham & Cheese Sandwich & Cucumber Salad, Lettuce & Tomato Wheat bread, Bananas Dinner: Low-Carb Eggplant Parmigiana, Wheat Bread, Yogurt and Blueberries
May 2013: MILK OFFERED WITH EACH MEAL | POT LUCK LUNCHES ON SATURDAY
NUTRITIONAL FACTS POSTED ON THE BOARD Wed Thu Fri
1 Lunch: Veggie Chili & Wheat Bread, Mixed Vegetables, Tomato Paste, Chili Powder, Kidney Beans, Brown Rice, Tangerine, Milk
2 ART CLASS 2-3 PM Lunch: Chef Salad Turkey, Ham & Cheese sliced, Let-tuce , Tomato, Chick Peas, Red Pep-per, Wheat Bread, Pears, Milk
3 Breakfast: Bacon & Eggs Turkey Bacon, Eggs, , Applesauce ,OJ Lunch: Grilled Chicken Sandwich & Sweet Potato Fries, Lettuce, Toma-toes, & Pickles, Strawberries
8 11 AM NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION Membership Presentation at Blake Avenue Shelter (SUS) 3pm Lunch:Turkey Meatballs, Red Potatoes, Green Beans, Apple-
9 ART CLASS 2-3 PM Lunch: Fruit Salad & Garlic Bread Romaine Lettuce, Swiss Cheese Cashews, Dried Cranberries Apples, Pears, Garlic Bread Yogurt
10 Breakfast: Blueberry Scones Scones, Mango & Banana Fruit Smoothies, Orange Juice Lunch: Fillet of Fish & String Beans Wheat Bread, Pineapple
15 10 AM HOUSING UNIT ORIENTATION 11 AM MEMBERSHIP & ADMIN-ISTRATIVE UNIT ORIENTATION Lunch: Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce Ground Lean Turkey, Whole Wheat Pasta, Tomatoes, Carrots, Onions, Peppers, Wheat Bread Strawberries & Banana
16 ART CLASS 2-3 PM MONTHLY BIRTHDAY PARTY 3 PM MENU PLANNING 3:15 PM Lunch: Mexican Salad Ground Beef, Iceberg Lettuce Black Beans, Tomato, Green Peppers, Shredded Cheese, Wheat Bread, Clementine
17 Breakfast: Waffles w/Eggs Whole Grain Waffles Eggs, Berries ** Lunch: Turkey Burger, Lettuce, toma-toes, wheat buns, Corn, Pears
22 11 AM NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION Lunch: Shepherd's Pie Ground Beef, Onions , Green Peppers, Mashed Potato, Wheat Bread
23 ART CLASS 2-3 PM Lunch: Asian Salad & Yogurt Iceberg, Red Cabbage, Snow Peas, Green Onions, Ginger, Almond, Ses-ame Dressing, Sesame Noodles Yogurt With Sliced Clementines
24 Breakfast: Wheat French Toast & Tur-key Bacon, Mangos *** Lunch: Crab cakes & Mesclun Green Salad, String beans, Strawber-ries with whipped cream
29 10 AM HOUSING UNIT ORIENTATION 11 AM MEMBERSHIP & ADMIN-ISTRATIVE UNIT ORIENTATION Lunch: Mixed Vegetable Chili Tomato Paste, Kidney Beans, Brown Rice, Tangerines
30 ART CLASS 2-3 PM Lunch: Greek Salad & Garlic Bread Lettuce , Olives, Dolmas , Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, Goddess Dressing
31 Breakfast: Low Fat Yogurt with Whole Grain Granola, Strawberries Lunch: Rotisserie Chicken &String Beans, Wheat Bread, Pears KITCHEN CLEAN UP
POT LUCK LUNCHES ON SATURDAY | NUTRITIONAL FACTS POSTED ON THE BOARD
Neville B. Joseph
Chef Neville (center) and the Chelton Loft Sous Chefs with tuna wraps
Health and wellness Group will be a group about bra instorming ideas and finding new
ways to manage your physical and mental health and how to take those ideas and or-
ganize them, manage them to incorporate into your l ife to improve quality of life.
If you have further questions and/or comments
Contact :
Peter Linden | Md Hasan
(212) 727-4360
Wee
kly
Ch
elto
n Lo
ft
Dis
cuss
ion
Gro
up
Sign-up & tell others!
Here are some topics we will discuss: What’s in your Food? | What is Food for You: live to eat vs. eat to live? Break Through: Limiting beliefs vs. empowering beliefs Your Legacy! | Addictive Behavior Triggers | Reasons for Living Finding healthy alternatives to your unhealthy habits! Organizing Your Life | Foundation to Group Discussion Taking care of the vehicle of life: your body! | Smoking Cessation
Every Monday | 11AM
Health & Wellness Group
German Shepherd Drive Name his animal Eunice Got quite a barking
Eunice is going To dog-training school to
learn Some decent manners
Those strange whining doors Trouble opening closing The LIRR
The Penn Station craze
Passengers rush on the train Before we get off
One Hundred and Fourth Field Artillery’s very Wacky / off-the-wall
Soothing April warmth
Without record summer heat It’s a lucky deal
During mean Aprils Goes from super record heat Back to cold winters
Deserved break away Despite rushed busy sched-
ules Feel like a new man
By Richard Katz Huge Canada geese Standing on our littered lawn Ready for attack
Huge Canada geese
Check out all of their drop-pings
Claim territory Huge Canada geese Checking out their dirty mess Claim authority
Long daily commutes Endless storms, wind, snow
and rain Do deserve better
Elbow shove lady Got insulted when changed seat Well, tough luck on her
World needs be better
Not ruled by the greedy rich And poor just struggle
Could be better world Population not controlled So all hell breaks loose
The Spring is coming Nice time before summer
heat Trees, plants, flowers bloom
Who am I?
Know a lot of people is wondering who But if I told my story would you even have a clue
I live my life day to day I use to be abused in every way
Was told to be quiet so much that now everyone has to listen to what I say
Who am I?
Sure you don’t know Unless I tell you who
Somedays I wake up without a clue I’m someone with a good loving heart
That while racing I will give you a head start
I feel so much going on
Second ChanceSecond ChanceSecond ChanceSecond Chance By Esmeralda
When we went to visit Grandma
in Havana had you left Papa?
Mama, he wasn’t there.
When I reached the top of the stairs (I was only three),
Where were you, Mama? You weren’t holding my hand.
When I slipped, tumbled, grasped
the crystal angel, it shattered carving staircase edges in my wrist.
Your hand became a tourniquet.
When I left a trail of blood to three Havana hospitals,
they said, We cannot treat her here- She’s too young.
When I cried, Papa, Papa at the Clinica for children,
he came from Panama for keeps. My stitches pulled us back together.
An Ode To My Childhood Laura V., Age 17
I’m past those sounds of conch shell seas
And sharing pretty fantasies.
And playing with the hose so cold In summer backyards jumping rope. And teenage sisters day and night
(When both feet fit in Mama’s spike!) And clubs and dolls and stomach aches
From blackened, well-done chocolate cakes. And scooping slugs with Mama’s spoons And laughing with my friend the moon.
Oh youthful bliss, so fast you fly Here is my poem to say good-bye.
Those Raspberry Dreams Laura V., Age 17
I remember picking raspberries Michael and I Together in the land of ours
“Our land” we called it Away from the taller ones Blue jay made sure they
Did not venture onto our faraway land.
Endlessly filling Mama’s bowls with our fruits And those fleeting moments of rest
When we savored the few we would eat Not heeding the juice that dripped down our
necks Sticky fragrance of sweet summer morns.
How our raspberry business would prosper
On such long ,ripened days Blue jay kept watch while we slept
Those raspberry dreams.
This poem was about painting over my flowery wallpaper as a teenager.
Redecoration
Laura V., Age 17
The hand rapidly paints Flowery youth away Yesteryear’s colors
Fade with dismal browns Giggles Tears
Cannot withstand this hurried pace
Continuous strokes remove Hopscotch Checkers
Jump-rope with the hose On hot June noons The hand moves
Up Down
Sideways Patching up spaces
Where colors shine through.
Reflections from a Treetop By Laura V., Age 17
Aloft, I asked the moon to play
And thought I heard her proudly say “You mustn’t treat me as a peer, Such kindly words insult my ear
Though maybe I am rude, you see, The stars may do so willingly.”
And so I beckoned specks so far The blossomed limbs they lifted me
I know of stars their pretty ways They do not share moon’s vanity. And so I asked them if they would
Play with the little child like me They seemed quite kind from where
they stood Comforting they’d surely be.
But mean they pierced my eager eyes
And shouted out the moon’s reply And as they giggled heartlessly
They spat their venom rays on me. The moon she strove to be alone
And clustered stars laughed rays so bright
I’ll have to venture on my own Beyond all stars and moons of
night.
Writer’s Block By Laura V., Age 17
A tear-stained paper stares at me Such wrinkles of useless effort! Dismissing myself from nothing
I drown myself in the art of others As if this were enough…
By Laura V. Written in Valle De Bravo, Mexico | Age 17
The Peasant
The peasant has creviced skin like a pocket whose seams are torn.
Her bare calloused feet are numb from burning ground.
And her unseen child wrapped up against her
Must thrive upon the bits that are thrown here and there.
She wanders aimlessly, through crowded streets
Accepting gifts from smoother, whiter hands.
TOURISTS How they stare.
Soon darkness shields her from them. Cushioned against a hard wall
She and her loved one will rest. Awakening to pesos dropped
Upon their braided heads. <<Gracias>>
The Cotton Candy Monster
Creation By Ms. Elizabeth P.
Tries to frighten Sally
Boo, Boo, Boo you who Scare her not, you
No teeth have you your mouths are so
vile Bad looking indeed
You can’t make her stay in the home You don’t exist
Good, good bye to you.
Summer By Sherlock
Walcott
I like the summer time
I like the hot I like to go to the park
By Declan
Not knowing and the Endless questions make me tired.
How to live and why?
Sonnet- Day Trip to Philly By Richard Katz
Its far superior the other way
With nicer trains and scenery and such Far better than the Chateau Briand I’ll say
The spacious fields I love so very much
Those stately college halls and houses too Majestic Philly skyline soars above
Enchanting modern glass design, what’s new Those painted colored sidewalks I do love
Rodin Museum is a Paradise
Centarus, many otherworks as well The splendid archway garden surely nice The spacious Parkway Boulevard so swell Refreshing change from constant daily rut It’s more like royal throne that’s called King
Tut
A Nice Warm Spring Day With-out Being Too Hot By Dankwa Owusu
Ansah
Drinking berries from the earth.
Gasping as it trickles down my throat.
What pleasures yet what refreshment.
Playing cards with my brother one afternoon
while watching a jagged Buick
Reminiscing about days gone by.
Daddy barbequing
some hot dogs. Momma cooking
some corn on a cob. Peace be with the
earth. Another Haiku By Anonymous
A good girl I’m not
Laugh and make myself do Being bad fun is
Different By “Just A Thought”
Do you know how to sing
Sing forward Fall back
So right, now we go Forward and that makes it
Different. Do you know the song
Sing forward Fall back.
It has to do with time With making things different.
The Champ By “The Unknown Writer”
The champ is here.
Monday is what you have. On Monday Night Raw.
April Wrestle Mania 29 took place At New Jersey Stadium.
On Sunday it was 20 and 0 It is now 21 and 0. Can you believe it?
Once a year, the fight Of a lifetime.
Still standing strong. Wrestle Mania 29.
21 years. Is that a race or what?
Now the WWE Champion. Two men in but only one winner.
And they say, “The Champ is here!!”
Poems By Bob Cozzolino
Steinbrenner ruined baseball. Yankees win, the others fall.
With their payroll, jyou could buy a mall. I say even salaries for one and all.
2.
Why must I feel alone When I’m there there’s nobody home.
Should I look, don’t want to read a book. False assumptions about me don’t help. I wish this world was somewhere else.
No place for me. Someone else I’d like to be, Fools find someone soon.
No love morning, night or noon. No place for me.
3.
Rappers don’t sing. Music’s not their thing. Don’t say it’s a song. That would be wrong.
A poem of talk. To the beat you can only walk.
4.
I can’t tell you how I feel. A loose word could spoil the deal.
If only you could understand. There wouldn’t be a happier man in the
land.
MEMOIRS OF
CROQUE
MONSIEUR BY MARK ROSENBERG I have been a mem-ber at Chelton Loft since August 2008. Of all the meals which have been made here, one dish comes to mind…. CROQUE MONSIEUR! The Croque Monsieur is always prepared by Chef Jonathan Bear. Mr. Bear who has been preparing Cro-
que Monsieur since the dark ages at-tended and success-fully graduated from New York Restaurant School in Manhattan. Croque Monsieur which is made with
Gruyere cheese, ham, and eggs is so ex-tremely delicious! To paraphrase, although one can’t live on bread alone, they can
however survive on a strict Croque Mon-sieur diet. In closing, I have one thing to say to Mr. Bear… Merci Beaucoup!!!
119 West 19th Street, Suite 201 New York, NY 10011 T (212) 727-4360 F (212) 727-4379 www.fedcap.org
This picture below is a visual code for a common expression. Can you guess what it is?
First person to guess correctly wins the original drawing by Larry Neals! (Submit
your guesses to Katie.)
This picture below is a visual code for a classic movie. Can you guess the movie?
Answer: “_____________________________”
#1: “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”
#2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Answer: “_____________________________”
Answers to the April 2013
Picture Puzzle By Larry Neals
The views expressed in the Chelton Gazette are those of
the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Chel-
ton Loft, Fedcap or any of its employees. While we try to
ensure that the information we provide is correct, mis-
takes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of
our material. If you do notice any mistakes then please let
us know.
