This Week in Clarkstown

If you have visited Congers Lake Memorial Park lately, you may have noticed that the building next to the pickleball courts has come back to life as the new Congers Community Café. The café is operated by the nonprofit organization Rockland Community Services and serves a much greater purpose than simply offering coffee and snacks. It provides meaningful job training and employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities while creating a welcoming gathering place for the community.

Rockland Community Services was founded eight years ago by Donna Ehrenberg to support families and individuals with disabilities. Before launching the nonprofit, Donna volunteered extensively in the Clarkstown Central School District, where her own children attended school. As the parent of children with disabilities, she served as President of the Special Education PTA and became deeply involved in helping families navigate the special education system.

“I dedicated my life to being an advocate and helping other families because I knew how difficult it was being a parent of children with disabilities,” Ehrenberg said.

Driven by that passion, Donna left her career at Merrill Lynch to focus on helping families full-time. She accepted a position with Rockland Independent Living as a parent advocate and eventually became Director of Independent Living Services, a role she held for five years. After leaving Independent Living, she worked with the Small Business Administration to establish Rockland Community Services.

“They guided me through the entire process,” Ehrenberg said. “For many years I worked out of my home. I’m a credentialed Family Peer Advocate, so I focused on helping families advocate within the school system, teaching them how to read an IEP, and simply being there to support them.”

About three years ago, Donna was able to open an office for Rockland Community Services in Valley Cottage. Today, the organization has six employees and provides a wide range of services. In addition to working with local school districts, they assist individuals with developmental disabilities who have aged out of the school system. They help families develop budgets, train caregivers, and work closely with both the Clarkstown and North Rockland School Districts as transition specialists for graduating students.

The organization helps families navigate the often-overwhelming transition into adulthood by assisting with guardianship, connecting individuals to services, and ensuring they have the support they need after graduation.

“We have a 100 percent success rate with this program,” Ehrenberg said. “Every student who has left school has a placement and is connected with the services they need.”

As successful as those efforts have been, Donna recognized that one of the greatest challenges facing these individuals was finding meaningful employment.

With that goal in mind, she met with Clarkstown Town Supervisor George Hoehmann and members of the Town staff to discuss opportunities that could help individuals with developmental disabilities build job skills and gain valuable work experience.

“People want to be part of society. People want to be part of a community. But there isn’t always an easy path to make that happen,” Ehrenberg explained.

Supervisor Hoehmann suggested reopening the café at Congers Lake Memorial Park.

Today, Rockland Community Services leases the café from the Town and partners with organizations that provide paid employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. While participants earn a paycheck, Donna and her team provide hands-on training in customer service, preparing food and beverages, operating a cash register, handling money, and developing the workplace skills needed to secure independent employment in the future.

The café offers a variety of coffee, beverages, and snacks, while also showcasing handcrafted items created by individuals with disabilities, including artwork, jewelry, pottery, journals, crayons, and other unique gifts.

Currently, the Congers Community Café is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. As additional participants join the program, the organization hopes to expand its hours.

Rockland Community Services is also looking to partner with local businesses by offering additional locally made products alongside the snacks and beverages already available.

When asked how the community could support the program, Ehrenberg offered a simple request.

“We would love people to stop in,” she said. “If they see something they’d like to purchase, every dollar goes right back into the café so we can continue buying products and creating more opportunities for the people we serve.”

Ehrenberg also expressed her gratitude to the Town of Clarkstown and Supervisor George Hoehmann for believing in the vision for the café, as well as State Senator Bill Weber for his continued support.

If you know someone with developmental disabilities who may be interested in participating in this employment program, or if you are looking for support services or would simply like to support this outstanding organization, you can contact Rockland Community Services at 845-395-3805 or visit www.rocklandcommunityservices.com.

For information about Clarkstown Parks & Recreation programs and events, please call our office at 845-639-6200.

Have an idea for a future column or a Clarkstown event you’d like to see highlighted? I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at m.veronesi@clarkstown.gov.

Have a great week!