Utica National Insurance Group Foundation Presents Grant to Adult Day Services Program

Senior Vice President Bernard Turi, Esq., left, and President & CEO Richard P. Creedon, right, of the Utica National Insurance Group Foundation, present Paul C. Landers of Pathfinder Village with a check in support of the new Adult Day Services site in the hamlet of Edmeston.

EDMESTON, NEW YORK, November 14, 2017 … An important cultural landmark in the hamlet of Edmeston is being repurposed, thanks in-part to a recent grant by the Utica National Insurance Group Foundation of Utica. The Foundation’s $25,000 donation will help support costs to convert a post-WWII church into a hub for Pathfinder Village’s growing Adult Day Services program.

Pathfinder Village, an internationally renowned community for people with developmental disabilities, started its Adult Day Services (ADS) program in 2015 to help provide un-met regional demands for day habilitation services for people with disabilities. Since then, Pathfinder’s ADS program now has over 45 participants, and requires additional space for activities and community engagement. ADS members, who receive training, transportation, and other habilitation services from Direct Support Professionals, are focused on developing pre-vocational skills, accessing community-based resources, and supporting area non-profits and small businesses through volunteer work.

The North Street landmark was used previously by local Catholic and Anglican congregations; the building had been on the market for several years. The Adult Day Services program will repurpose the building as a transition hub for ADS members who are between community-based activities. The hub also will be used as a neighborhood center for the public, and the site will be integrated into a planned internship program for high school juniors and seniors who are interested in exploring Human Service careers.

"Pathfinder is a wonderful place that does amazing things for those with Down syndrome. The Village has an idyllic setting and allows its residents to live a full life, enriched with schooling, productive work and lifelong friendships,” said Foundation President Richard P. Creedon. “With more people in need of Pathfinder’s services, our grant will help provide necessary funding to expand the Adult Day Services program, providing outreach to an even greater number of people with disabilities. The Utica National Foundation is proud to be a long-term supporter of Pathfinder and to partner with them on this expanding program."

“We are grateful to the Utica National Insurance Group Foundation for their support in developing the Adult Day Services site, and for their ongoing partnership that allows Pathfinder to make meaningful differences in the lives of people with developmental disabilities,” said Pathfinder Village President and Chief Executive Officer Paul C. Landers. “Historic buildings are important to our regional communities, and it’s important to find ways to prevent them from falling into disrepair. The North Street site is in the heart of downtown Edmeston, close to the public school and businesses, and we believe that in repurposing it to provide community-based services, we’ll ensure the continuance of a landmark that’s been here for over 60 years.”

Originally known as the Church of the Nativity, the building sits on the west side of Edmeston’s Mill Creek in a mixed-use neighborhood of 19th century residences and public buildings. According to contemporary reports in The Binghamton Press, the building was first dedicated in April 1954 by Bishop Edmund F. Gibbons of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese to provide a space for the fellowship needs of 100 local families, who had previously held services in the fire hall and local Grange. The building was transferred from the Albany Diocese to the Diocese of the Northeast, Anglican Church in America, in May of 2010. Pathfinder Village completed their purchase of the site from St. Alban’s Anglican Church in October, following approval from the New York State Attorney General’s Office in accordance with state laws.