Message from the Executive Director

Welcome to our website. Sinergia enters its fourth decade of serving individuals with disabilities and their families at a time of deep fiscal uncertainties. At this critical time our mission is more important than ever. Our commitment remains steadfast to enhance the well being of individuals and families who have traditionally experienced difficulty in accessing services and struggle to survive in some of the communities in New York City with most at risk factors.

Myrta Cuadra-Lash

You can come home again! I am very happy to report that on December 2009 Sinergia is embarking on a long term lease to a new facility at 2082 Lexington Avenue, the corner of 126th Street. As many of you know our organization started on the Upper Westside at P.S. 145 on 105th Street. Thru the years we kept inching further down town because gentrification made the upper reaches of Manhattan unaffordable for commercial space. This space will provide two floors in a brand new building which will have state of the art meeting space for the Metropolitan Parent Center and Housing workshops, as well as administrative and day habilitation services and house all of our program staff. We now have an opportunity to consolidate our main office space with our residential and housing departments located at the Luis Arce store front at 104 St. Most importantly we will be close to our main constituency of individuals and families who come primarily from East Harlem, Central Harlem,Washington Heights and the upper Westside. For them this move will facilitate access to our services. The mass transit availability is excellent and we will be at the crossroads of East Harlem and Central Harlem. We will keep you abreast of our moving date and of course the open house to celebrate our return to upper Manhattan and the people we have historically served.

The Metropolitan Parent Center continues to provide comprehensive one to one advocacy services to children from birth through 26 years of age. A six week intensive series of trainings on special education procedures will help parents and professionals to acquire knowledge, and the cultural and social capital necessary to navigate the systems that are intended to help children with special needs to attain academic and functional skills. Knowledgeable, qualified trainers at the MPC also provide on-site and off-site trainings on a variety of topics related to special education and transition. Check the calendar on our website for upcoming workshops on education and housing workshops. You may also request educational seminars at your site(s).

Our comprehensive curriculum Special Ed in the City: A Guide to Parent Advocacy in New York City has added new chapters on Parental Involvement, Autism Spectrum Disorders and has been adapted for parents with cognitive and developmental disorders.

Relocations were necessary at the beginning of the year for some residential consumers. They moved to more spacious quarters and are happy with the move. Our Day Habilitation supplemental program is now reaching hard to serve individuals who did not fit into the more traditional program.

Our special events throughout the year were climaxed by our 30th Anniversary Gala celebration at the Bronx Botanical Gardens and Sinergia’s annual Christmas party for children and families, which had the best attendance ever despite the year’s worst snow storm.

Sinergia is a part of the Autism Spectrum Initiative which has reached hundreds of families of children with autism. This significant project has also built important partnerships, especially with the Columbia University Medical Center and the other organizations which are part of the initiative.

We have taken advantage of the social networks on the internet and you may soon find us on Facebook. The Metropolitan Parent Center has also developed a blog dedicated to covering issues that parents, caregivers, youth and professionals face when dealing with disabilities and everyday life. Please visit our blog at sinergialaesquinita.blogspot.com and our website: www.sinergiany.org, which will lead you to further information about our services and organization.

Sinergia’s Board of Directors now numbers fifteen members, many of whom are parents and are committed to our mission, have deep community roots and expertise in the field of disabilities. They are truly representative of the people we serve. I cannot thank them enough for their unwavering dedication and direction. Also we extend our deepest appreciation to the consumers, families, staff, colleagues and funders who support the work of Sinergia day in and day out. To all of you please help to continue our work for many years to come.