The second race was named in our honor, and our top sponsor – USI Northeast – was invited onto the track to take photographs with the winning horse.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and supported the event! Our work serving foster children and adults with developmental disabilities would not be possible without you.

This year’s event helped raise money for our Mt. Kisco residence which is home to ten young men in foster care. On behalf of these wonderful young adults, and all those in our care, thank you!

If you were unable to make it, we hope to see you next year!

The road from foster care to revered military hero is a difficult one; shaped by perseverance, strength and courage. For SGT B. Mutebi Nsubuga, it is a road that began in Africa.

Mutebi was born in Entebb, Uganda in 1982. Following Ugandan culture, his father Noah was a polygamist who married nine women, including Mutebi’s mother. The family boasted 27 children, perhaps explaining Mutebi’s tireless competitive drive. Food was scarce. As a young boy, Mutebi and his family faced extreme poverty and hunger.

“I’ve come face to face with hunger. And poverty? In Uganda, I wore sandals made out of discarded tires.”

Fortunately for the family, Noah was a government aide and found the necessary resources to move to America—but there was only enough money to move 11 of the children. Mutebi was one of the lucky ones.

“It was a pure stroke of luck for me to come here with my father. My life would have had a very  different outcome if I had to stay in Uganda.”

At the age of six, Mutebi arrived in New York and immediately knew he was an outsider. Wanting to make a name for himself, he picked fights with classmates, behaved erratically and was disrespectful to anyone in authority including his father and teachers. As a non-English speaking student, he began the second grade without any of the right tools. He was forced to learn English and repeat the grade. Once Mutebi mastered the English language however, not only did he catch up, he surpassed his classmates skipping third grade into fourth. He continued to excel at schoolwork, but each time his good grades would put him a step ahead, his behavior would push him backward. He earned over 180 school detentions thanks to fights, stealing, lying and cheating.

“I was trying to become Americanized. I knew that the bad kids in school were usually the popular ones; so that’s who I tried to associate with, who I tried to be.”

Finding friends in America was proving to be very difficult, and things at his family’s New York apartment were about to take a turn for the worse. In seventh grade, Mutebi learned that his father molested one of his sisters—a discovery that forever changed the course of his life. Some of his siblings returned to Uganda, others moved with their mothers to England. After the chaos settled, Mutebi and one of his sisters found themselves left behind and in foster care.

“Although it was terrifying at first, becoming a ward of the state was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I was already so independent, and this only helped me dig deeper to discover who I really was.”

At the beginning of his foster care experience, Mutebi was placed with an upstate agency and lived with a foster family far from his original school district. Despite all the difficulties he had faced, he recognized that starting at a new school meant he could personally start over. And although he was still holding on to some bad habits, his new environment did not let him get away with everything like it used to. Mutebi noticed a difference within himself as well. Instead of continuing down the path of self-destruction, he sat in class and paid attention instead.

“I was so used to stealing, gambling, and fighting. The worst thing that the bad kids did at this new school was smoke cigarettes in the bathrooms. Since I was used to doing much worse things, I didn’t have an interest in associating with the “bad boys” anymore.”

In 1997, Mutebi was transferred to Abbott House, a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping foster children and their families. He found himself under the care of two nurturing foster parents—Courtney and Geraldine (Gerry) Layne. He instantly knew they were special. His foster father was originally from Barbados and brought a level of international understanding to their relationship. Mutebi felt a connection with him very early on as they both knew what it was like to be on the edge of a foreign culture looking in.

Both Courtney and Gerry encouraged him to get active in sports, which Mutebi fully embraced. But it was through Gerry’s work with her local church that Mutebi began singing in the choir and serving as an acolyte—an experience he admits to this day was a positive outlet for a lot of his adolescent energy.

Reflecting on his time with the Laynes, Mutebi felt their parenting approach is part of what made them so special. Each had been married before meeting each other, and at the time Mutebi was welcomed into their home, they were not married to each other yet.

“My foster parents were going through a transition of their own. And since my whole life was one transition after another, I knew we could relate to each other.”

As Mutebi began adjusting to the structure the Laynes provided, he began focusing more in school and forging relationships with the people around him. One person was Abbott House Therapeutic Foster Boarding Home Supervisor Althea Milton. Having worked on Mutebi’s case years ago, Althea reflected on her feelings toward Mutebi, with whom she still speaks with to this day.

 “He persevered despite the obstacles placed before him. He is a young man that is truly an inspiration in my professional life. I had the pleasure of working with him as his child care worker when he was a child. I knew back in the 90’s he was special and would have an impact on my life in years to come. He never ceases to embrace challenges and not only accomplishes his goal but excels in every thing he does. He has medals, awards, and has been showcased in college newspapers, military and such. I swear this young man has made me a better professional. He is the proof that we can make a difference in a child’s life as they leave unforgettable imprints on ours.”

After graduating Daemen College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing and a minor in Graphic Design, Mutebi began interning in Buffalo, New York. The company he was interning for promoted him to marketing manager for one of their subsidiaries in West Memphis, Arkansas. He loved the job, but hated the area and wanted to pursue more challenges and adventures before fully settling into a career. And while he knew it could lead to a great career, he was not being challenged enough. He woke up one night in a cold sweat. Feeling that the monotony of the business world was closing in around him, he decided that night to make something more of himself. Having always been attracted to the Battle Dress Uniforms of the military, and having always respected people of strong physical presence, the choice was clear for Mutebi. He joined the U.S. Army and has not looked back since.

 A five-year Army veteran, Mutebi has risen to the rank of Sergeant. He has a dual Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) as a 68W-M6 (Combat Medic and Licensed Practical Nurse). His work helps provide life-saving medical care to wounded soldiers on the front lines and throughout military hospitals. As a first responder, he supports all medical aspects for deployment units including other combat medics, nurses, physical therapists, radiologists and all of the other members that make up the medical unit. He is currently part of a Combat Support Hospital (CHS) detachment unit that provides medical personnel for various deployments and assignments. He recently returned from a 15-month overseas deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“Once you can make a life or death decision under the pressures of war, making decisions in other parts of my life is… well, it’s easy.”

The military has recognized Mutebi’s efforts and has honored him with the following awards. Task Force Medical Soldier of the Month (September 2010); KFOR 13 Battalion Soldier of the Quarter (November 2010); Distinguished Leadership Award for Exemplary Leadership & Outstanding Achievement (October 2010); US Army Multi-National Battle Group East Battalion Soldier of the Year (March 2011).

Despite his international journey through poverty, foster care, family crises and an ever-changing environment, Mutebi feels blessed. His experiences have shaped his personality, his determination and his willingness to always strive for something better.

To this day, he remains part of the Layne family.

When asked what advice he might impart to foster children today, he replied:

“I’ve always tried to live by this quote: ‘Some people watch it happen. Others ask what happened. I make it happen.’ At some point, we have to stop looking at what cards we’ve been dealt and just play our hand. In each one of us, there is the potential to make things better and be better.

 And I think it’s so important to embrace the services provided by Abbott House. They are advocating for you because they know you’re worth it. Rather than fighting them, embrace them—it will help you realize your potential.”

President & CEO Claude B. Meyers

As you know, Abbott House faces many challenges during the course of the next few months. 

Some of the changes include the closure of our Campus program and New York City Group Homes. However, we remain a strong agency with a deep commitment to our mission of providing comprehensive and caring services for children, families and people with developmental disabilities.

Here are some important changes that we would like you to be aware of.

Abbott House has launched the Bridges to Health Lower Hudson Valley program, the companion of our metropolitan counterpart – Bridges to Health New York.  Bridges to Health (B2H) serves children and families who are navigating through the foster care system. It is specifically designed for children with complex medical, developmental and mental health needs. It helps connect crucial community and internal resources with parents and children that are to help stabilize the family unit. B2H provides that connection, becoming the link that helps families cross over from foster care into permanency.

Falling under the auspices of our Group Homes department, today Abbott House opened a Non-Secure Detention (NSD) home for up to 10 young men. This house is located in Queens and is funded by the NYC’s Division for Youth and Family Justice/Administration for Children’s Services. With rehabilitation at the core of its services, NSD offers youth a supportive, family-like environment and close supervision during the transitional time prior to determination of their rehabilitation outcomes.

With new programs opening and growing, you may be also aware that some programs are closing and others changing. As the trend for the treatment of younger children in foster care has shifted away from residential settings and into more family-centered living, we have faced the difficult decision to close our Campus programs. Once serving up to 65 boys at a time, the Campus and the Abbott School will close on June 30, 2011. Our Campus staff has worked diligently, carefully and attentively to create individualized plans for every youth in this program; at the same time, the staff at the School has worked to ensure a seamless transition in their education as they move on to their new schools.  Some of the boys will return home; others will be matched with a caring foster parent or referred to another Residential setting – but all of the children will be safe and surrounded by a network of support.

Following the trend set by ACS, Abbott House has also closed its New York City-based Group Homes. The youth who once resided there have also been carefully placed with other agencies, returned to families or will graduate high school and move on independently. These youth, just like the Campus residents, are not alone in their transition. The qualified and caring staff of the Group Homes department has ensured a safe and supported passage. Although our New York City-based Group Homes have closed, Abbott House still operates several Group Homes in the Hudson Valley. These family-like settings allow our young adults to flourish and work toward permanency.

The decisions to discontinue these services are not a reflection on Abbott House, but rather they reflect the trend in foster care toward matching youth in need with foster families as quickly as possible. In fact, on the NYC ACS 2010 Scorecard which ranks foster care residential services in the categories of safety, permanency and well being, Abbott House scored at the top, achieving the highest possible mark for safety. It is also important to note that over the past five years, the number of children placed in foster care has steadily declined both statewide and in New York City. Currently, New York State has approximately 12,000 children in foster care compared to over 20,000 in recent years. This is a result of improved outcomes for children, family team conferencing and a variety of preventive programs for all families involved in the system.

Another significant change you should know involves the sale of our Campus property. Abbott House administrative headquarters has historically shared a building with our Campus residents. Because of Campus’s closure, the administrative team no longer needs as much space. Therefore, working amicably with town officials, Abbott House is selling our 16-acre Irvington property and plans to relocate our headquarters elsewhere in Westchester County.

Additionally, we will maintain our offices in the Bronx, Montgomery and Poughkeepsie, serving the FBH and TFBH programs as well as our Preventive and Post Adoption programs.

Our Services for People with Developmental Disabilities (SPDD) program will continue to operate two day habilitation programs, in Westchester and Rockland counties, as well as 16 residences in Westchester and Rockland counties and the Bronx, providing caring services to this extraordinary population.

We are proud to partner with our foster parents, community resources and organizations, volunteer groups, mentors, schools and friends as we look toward a stable, permanent and loving future for the children and people with developmental disabilities whom we are committed to serving.

The Business Council’s Rising Stars made it their business to meet teenagers from Abbott House and talk about what career goals are important to them.

The Gateway Center at Westchester Community College on February 17 doubled as a party room where teens and Rising Stars Alumni (RSA) met, exchanged contact information and socialized.

The evening marked the launch of a new partnership with the Rising Stars. Over the next year, RSAs will open their doors to over 20 inquisitive Abbott House teenagers, giving them the unique opportunity to learn about Westchester industries and how they can become part of the fabric that makes businesses work.

The Rising Stars Alumni boasts membership of 200+ professionals recognized by The Business Council of Westchester’s “40 Under 40” award. Rising Stars is specifically designed to recognize individuals under the age of 40 who exemplify leadership, foresight and a vision for the future of Westchester County.

Donating all of the labor, Anthony, his father Nick and the entire East Hill Cabinetry team committed their time, skills and attention to transform the house into a home. On behalf of the Abbott House Board of Directors, staff and especially the boys living at the house, we thank you for your unparalleled generosity! A special note of thanks to Harry Horowitz who introduced Anthony to us, and the following companies that joined East Hill Cabinetry to make the project possible: Maucieri Marble and Tile, Kohler, Rye Ridge Tile, White Plaines Marble and Mouser Custom Cabinetry.

Because of your generosity and selfless acts of kindness, the youngsters and consumers served by our organization will have a brighter holiday this season.

This year we had a diverse group of caring neighbors and friends, ranging from churches and schools to corporations and even a few very special youngsters who sacrificed birthday gifts so that their friends could buy presents for the children at Abbott House. 

Did you donate to Abbott House this year and would like to share your story of how your gift drive started? We would love to hear about it! Email us at ljurgensen@abbotthhouse.net. 

 Thank you to all of our holiday donors! 

 Aeropostale
Anonymous
Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
Goddard School, Suffern
Hackley School, Tarrytown
Jill Hays & her daughter Kendall
Heart Gallery of New York City
Hermes
Ann Hirsch & her daughter Molly
Holy Family Parish, New Rochelle
Kappa Alpha Thetas, Westchester Chapter
Keevily, Spero, Whitelaw, White Plains
DeLaune Michel & Dan Fried
Our Lady of Pompeii Church
Patricia Connors
Lauren Prigozen & her son Van
Ridgewood Savings Bank, Bronx
The Alteri Family
The Friedman Family
The Rawdin Family
The Roth Family
The Wade Family
The Zuckerman Family
The Zumbro Family
Wizard Entertainment, New York
Westchester Department of Social Services
Westy’s Storage, Tuckahoe

Photos courtesy of H&H Photographers.