wards island n.y & randalls island n.y. (New York: home, dorm)

[melveniaw9]

hello, when i was 18 i was in a home for women and children. i know that it down the street from a mental hospital. the home was like a prison in an sense. you had to be supervised at all times, i don't remember the name of the place. do any one in new york know what happened to that place. the staff there was staff there was very mean to us. was it the workhouse women home. i remember having to cross a bridge. i think that the place was just outside of east harlem. i can't remember. that was 1978, such a long time ago. if any one can remember this place or can get some pictures t would appreciate it. please send me a e-mail melveniaw9@yahoo.com

thank-you

[rlrl]

maybe manhattan childrens psychiatric center?

[Brandon054]

Yes I was there , I was at the Keener building for four months at which I found out that, all buildings on wards island are runned by Volunteers of America. But to tell you the truth There are only 5 buildings. the others belong to the Kerby Phyiatric Hospital for the criminally Insane...

1=keener
2=shwarts
3=help usa
4=clark tomhas
5= was called the Next step program & I believe That's the one you are referring to.

[baylovers]

The Keener building is now a Men's Shelter. I don't know what the other buildings are over there. You can still walk the footbridge to Randall's island otherwise you'd have to get there by the TriBoro bridge. There is a bus that travels from 125 St & Lex, too.

[Brandon054]

yes I know the bus route you speak of is the M35

[drkman]

You can catch the M35 from the Queens side of the Triborough Bridge also. Ward's Island is the one that has all of the hospitals, shelters etc. Randall's Island is where a part of MTA Bridges and Tunnel's, as well as the Park's Department is located. There is also a stadium there.

[DesiArnaz1986]

Originally Posted by baylovers

The Keener building is now a Men's Shelter. I don't know what the other buildings are over there. You can still walk the footbridge to Randall's island otherwise you'd have to get there by the TriBoro bridge. There is a bus that travels from 125 St & Lex, too.

Yep, and I heard that the shelter is still a very bad condition. What did the outside of the building look like?

[wearemightierthanthesword]

The following are conditions experienced daily by the Disabled Homeless men at the Schwartz and Keener Buildings on ward’s Island in the City of New York. Which are both shameful places funded (They really got the money from the taxpayers.) and policed (With all the accouterments of a NY State Prison.) by the NYC Department of Homeless Services and operated by the non-profit Volunteers of America at a cost exceeding $25 million dollars from taxpayers per year at these facilities. The NYC D.H.S. budget for the past decade has almost equaled $1 Billion Dollars. Instead using the money to address homelessness they have chosen to use (STEAL) the taxpayer’s dollars to maintain homelessness.

1) > There is no Private or NY City Medical Hospital on Wards Island. And those Hospitals off the Island are not within a reasonable distance of the facility to provide suitable emergency care for Clients. And the NYFD EMS takes an unreasonable amount of time to get to clients in a timely manner and medically treat them properly.[/font]

2) > In the Dormitories, Bathrooms, Lockers and immediate living spaces of the Clients are frequently exposed to Year Round Infestations of Flies, Cockroaches, Mice including Mosquitoes in the Spring and Summer Months. This spreads disease not only within the shelter but also to the outside community.

3) > There are absolutely No Automatic Doors provided for the disabled with Wheelchairs or Walkers or the Blind into the buildings, dormitories and bathrooms.
4) > There is no Designated Area for Clients to charge their Electric motorized Wheelchairs.

5) > There is an unwarranted and unreasonable curfew imposed on the majority of the men. There are rarely, if any Special Passes provided for men to leave for several days to spend time with their family and friends or attend to any personal business. There are no MTA METROCARDS provided to Clients who have limited or no finances with Walkers, Wheelchairs or Crutches. They are denied Rides on the free buses provided which do not have the ability for Wheelchair and Walker Accessibility. Men at a loss as to the necessary means to travel are constantly being arrested for not paying MTA fares.

6) > The Bathroom Showers, Toilets and Urinals and Wash Sinks are frequently Broken and in Disrepair.[/font]
]

7) > There is never enough Toilet Paper Provided. This prevents men from maintaining proper hygiene, which are not safe sanitary conditions for the whole shelter population

8) > The Toilet Stalls, Toilet Seats, Urinal Areas and Wash Sink Areas are frequently messed with Urine, Feces, Vomit and Unknown Bodily Waste.

9) > The Shower Stalls are frequently filled with Mold and[/font]
Mildew and messed with Urine, Feces, Vomit and Unknown Bodily Waste, Garbage and frequently missing shower curtains.

10) > In the Bathrooms there is no Soap or Hand Sanitizers Provided. Nor are there Disposable Paper Towels or a Sanitary Hot Air Hand Dryer provided.

11) > There are no extra Bath Towels are provided upon request by Clients.

12) > There no extra Blankets or Bed Linens provided upon request by Clients.

13) > There is No Dietitian on Staff for Clients with Special Dietary Needs.

14) > Clients with Diabetes are frequently told that food that is provided for their special needs is not available.

15) > Clients Are Not Provided With Nutritionally Sound Meals. All Meals Consist of High Starch and Protein. The Meals all lack the addition of necessary amounts of Fruits and Vegetables for the proper supply of fiber, nutrients and minerals needed. The do not meet any Federal guidelines for adult males.

16) > There is no Qualified Medical Staff/Doctors; Psychiatrists; Psychologists,; Nurses, Physical Therapists or Hygienist on Duty To Address Populations Serious Medical And Psychiatric Needs.

17) > There are no Certified Social Workers on Staff or Available to Clients.

18) > No Proper Bio-Hazard Wastes Receptacles for the Disposal of Soiled Linens, Catheters, IV Needles, Colostomy Bags, Urine Bottles and Bags, etc.

19) > Dorm and Bathroom Floors are frequently covered. With Urine, Fecal Material, Bodily fluids , unknown Liquids
and solid waste.

20) > There is no Proper Ventilation. We are inundated daily by Noxious Odors at all times. It is known fact that these fumes, toxins and spores can cause severe health problems.

21) > All Facility Waste and Garbage is left for Removal by NYC Sanitation Directly at the Entrance to Living Facility.

22) > Clients have No Access to any necessary Resources i.e. Computers, Internet, Phonebooks, Reference Books to
help them (Clients) in finding Employment, Housing, Medical Care or other needs.

23) > No Proper Indoor Recreational Area is
provided for the Clients to read, play board games, arts and crafts, watch television etc.

24) > There is no Designated Area provided for Clients to charge their Cell Phones or any Electrical Devices. And we are frequently threatened they will be confiscated and we will be denied owning them. And men are often told to stop using their personal electrical devices.

25) > There is no Barber provided at any time and no Area Designated for Clients to have Their Hair Cut or Trimmed.
Clients are restricted from having scissors or mirrors. This issue strongly affects those Clients who are visually impaired or Blind and those with issues of Manual Dexterity.

26) > Clients are told that clothing is provided upon request and the Clients are given vouchers for clothing by their VOA Case Managers but never receive the clothes.

27) > There no Cleaning Supplies i.e. Ammonia, Chlorine Bleach, or Non-Toxic Cleaning Fluids, Rags, Mops, etc. None are provided to the Clients upon request to clean their beds, lockers or immediate living space.

28) > There are no wall fixtures to assist those who are blind or with balance issues to ambulate in the facility.

29) > Neglect by The NYC Department of Homeless Services Police in the Protection of Our Person from Harm and Our Property from Theft.

30) There are a large number of men between the ages of 65 to 85 who are subjected to all forms of Elder Abuse. And there are a large number of men who cannot care for themselves and badly need some form of supervision. In all of these cases the intervention of NYC Adult Protective Services is denied.

If you are a homeless person in America of any kind, for all intents and purposes, you have essentially lost your existence; your identity as a human and stripped of all your rights and dignity as far as our culture is concerned. Yes America, You know that these terrible Disabled Homeless people should be treated in a manner you would not treat an animal or better yet just put to death, and not treated like a real human with money in the bank, a job and a home like you and your loved ones and friends right? We are not surprised America are we?

[Bronxguyanese]

Those buildings are huge. I can see them from my window. Sometimes I used to take out my binoculars amd you can make out patients and workera faces who are looking out the window.

[Kefir King]

Ward's/Randall's Island (I think they landfilledled then together long ago...so both names are right) is a nice place now. Its a quiet park and you can bycycle all around it with no traffic to battle. You can get to it via a lovely foot-bike bridge extending from the East River Walkway around 102nd St. (or 103rd?) begun by Robert Moses.

I walked around on the hottest day of this Summer...bit of a mistake; needed a bus to get home, and LOTS of cold water.
The view from the bridge is beautiful.

I'm riding my bike over the first nice Autumn Day.

The old hospital was the Manhattan State Psychiatric Centter.