New Visions Blog

Lucille Obarzanek had the education and the drive to get ahead in her career. What she lacked was experience, something her 2013 internship at Barrier Free Living (BFL) provided. “I was having a hard time finding a job. I had finished the certificate program in accounting at Baruch College in April but I did not have on the job experience,” said Lucille. “I wanted book keeping experience and to also… read more

BFL's Breaking Barriers in Domestic Violence December Newsletter about holiday safety was highlighted by Futures Without Violence. Read the article here.… read more

The Barrier Free Living Speakers Bureau has released its winter holiday newsletter. The Speakers Bureau was founded in May 2012 by Theresa A.H. Macintosh.  Ms. Macintosh, a survivor of Domestic Violence and an amputee, is a Mayoral Appointee of the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and is a Trustee on the Board of Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House.The Speakers Bureau provides training and encouragement to disabled Survivors of Domestic Violence. Click here to view the newsletter.… read more

Singer Blake Drummond debuted Barrier Free, the song he wrote for Barrier Free Living at the agency's holiday event this month. Drummond, who also created the agency's mission film, was part of BFL's 25 Videos of Hope Campaign running in December and was inspired to create the song about the agency… read more

A Teen Art Sale to benefit the children of Barrier Free Living's Freedom House Emergency Shelter will be held December 15, from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Hastings Yoga, 45 Main St., Hastings on Hudson NY. Freedom House  is nationally recognized as the first fully accessible emergency shelter for disabled victims of domestic violence and their families. All proceeds will go toward purchasing art supplies for the shelter kids. View the flyer. To organize an event to benefit… read more

Hearts of Gold, which has taken on BFL's Freedom House emergency shelter as a sponsored program, held its Fiesta Latina Gala this past month. Pictured at the gala are: left to right - Rhonda Ross, Board of Directors of Hearts of Gold; Myra Ricard, Director of Social Services at Freedom House; and Deborah Koenigsberger, Founder and Executive Director of Hearts of Gold… read more

The New York Times reports: New York City has violated the rights of about 900,000 of its residents with disabilities by failing to accommodate for their needs during emergencies, a federal judge ruled. The ruling arose from a lawsuit filed in 2011 after Tropical Storm Irene, but came into sharper focus after Hurricane Sandy, when many New Yorkers with disabilities were stranded for days. The judge, Jesse M. Furman of Federal District Court in Manhattan, found that the city, through “benign… read more

The Supportive Housing Network of New York reports that after several debates in which the word "homeless" was never uttered, moderators at last week's final debate asked candidates to detail their plans to reduce NYC's record level of homelessness, this a result of a United to End Homelessness twitter rally. United to End Homelessness held two Twitter rallies in October to urge New York City's mayoral candidates and debate moderators to discuss homelessness. The Coalition's efforts paid off. Debate moderators… read more

A special ribbon cutting ceremony was held at BFL's Freedom House program to kick off Heart's of Gold sponsoring the shelter for the next year. The Hearts of Gold mission is to "foster sustainable change in lifestyle and levels of self-sufficiency for homeless mothers and their children. " Hearts of Gold's next event at Freedom House is a Halloween party in October for the children and families residing at the domestic… read more

Georgia teenager Zach Hodskins, a 17-year-old was born without the lower half of his left arm, earned a spot on one of the nation's top teams, the University of Florida. The news was reported nationally on a variety of sources, including CBS News, and has been taken up as a strong new inspiration for people with disabilities. Click here to read the CBS News Story… read more

Toy and gift donations from The Kids Wish Network, FPWA and Manhattan-based Holy Trinity Church brighten the holidays for the children residing at Freedom House Emergency Shelter. This year, Kids Wish included Barrier Free Living in its special Gift Bank delivering 1 pallet (650lbs) of brand new toys, games, educational items and more to the children.  BFL is part of the Kids Wish Hero of the Month program aimed at "children between the ages of 3 and 18… read more

Theresa MacIntosh, founder of BFL's Survivor's Speaker's Bureau, participated in artist Suzanne Lacy's Between the Door and the Street, a political performance that brought together close to 400 women in Brooklyn. "It was an absolutely awesome experience and the first time our Speaker's Bureau participants were able to speak. They made me so proud," said MacIntosh, pictured at center with her group. Barrier Free Living. Inc. Speakers Bureau was founded in May 2012 by… read more

The following article will appear in Barrier Free Living's annual newsletter (Nov. 2013) Breaking Barriers.  To learn more, or receive the free newsletter, contact [email protected] Antoinette Calabretta, a Case Manager at Barrier Free Living’s Secret Garden Program, shares her personal journey dealing with a disability and becoming a powerful force of change in the lives of the people she works with.  Of note: Alejandrina Cruz, who Antoinette works with at the Secret Garden, was featured in a New York Times story… read more