Malliotakis Announces $2 Million Secured to Renovate The Guild for Exceptional Children
Funding will be used to expand program space & create a more accessible community
Editor’s note: Staten Islander News previously covered Disability Pride Month at the New York Public Library, as well as Mayor Adams’ celebration. where city buildings were lit in the DPM colors.
(BROOKLYN, NY) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis announced $2 million in federal funding she secured for The Guild for Exceptional Children (GEC), a non-profit organization serving the developmentally disabled, to make critical renovations and ADA upgrades across several of their facilities in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
“The Guild for Exception Children has been a cornerstone of our city for decades, and they haven’t undergone any significant renovations in over 30 years,” Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis said. “I’m proud to have secured this federal funding to allow them the ability to expand their program space and create a larger, more accessible community. They do incredible work for families in our area, and I hope this funding allows them to continue providing invaluable resources to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for years to come.”
The project scope includes renovations for the Guild’s facilities located on 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The first floor of their building, which houses the Hope C. Morrison Day Habilitation Center for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will be overhauled to provide more community space and remove barriers to make wheelchair use in the facility easier, along with bathroom upgrades and floor/ceiling replacements. The upper floors will receive cosmetic improvements and be retrofitted with a new apartment and more program space for the individuals attending the day program. Exterior work will include resurfacing the roof, a new façade, and surfacing in the backyard to prevent flooding and injury. Construction is expected to take six to nine months with hopes of breaking ground in early Spring 2025.
“The Guild for Exceptional Children (GEC) greatly appreciates the support and assistance provided by Congressman Nicole Malliotakis, especially her help in providing $2 million funding through a Federal HUD grant for much-needed renovations to our buildings at 6745-6751 3rd Ave. in Brooklyn,” said Joe Riley, GEC Executive Director and CEO. “These were the first buildings acquired by GEC when the agency began supporting people with intellectual/development disabilities in 1958, and have been in use for adult day habilitation and 24 hour residential services since. The renovation is sorely needed, and GEC is very grateful to the Congresswoman, who has always been supportive of our mission going all the way back to when she was in the New York State Assembly. Thank you Congresswoman Malliotakis, from all of us at GEC.”
Guild for Exceptional Children. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis
ABOUT THE GUILD FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN:
The GEC is a non-profit agency founded in 1958 by parents and friends of people with developmental disabilities. GEC grew from a dedicated group of parents volunteering their time to a leading-edge advocacy agency that spearheaded community living options, opening the very first group home in New York City in 1970.
A particular focus of GEC is to help families navigate the challenge of securing services for a person with special needs. GEC provides services to families, and is proud of its history of keeping families together, stable, and better able to meet the evolving needs of their children with special needs.
Today, GEC serves 500+ individuals and family members each day and provides a full range of services and supports to children and adults with developmental disabilities. GEC is proud of its heritage and proud of its focus on individual quality of care.
Banner Image: Rep. Malliotakis at press conference. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was sworn in on January 3, 2021 to represent Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn. Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, defeating a two-term incumbent. In the Assembly, she served as Minority Whip and the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. For five terms, Congresswoman Malliotakis fought to restore ethics in Albany, expand transit service in her district, improve programs for senior citizens, reform education and improve New York’s economic climate by reducing the tax burden on small businesses and residents. A cornerstone of her tenure was helping her community recover and rebuild following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In addition to advocating for these same issues in Washington, Congresswoman Malliotakis is acutely focused on securing New York’s fair share of federal mass transit funding, which would go towards expanding transportation services and easing traffic congestion, while also championing public safety by supporting our nation’s law enforcement officers. Congresswoman Malliotakis is the daughter of immigrants, her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship. She is currently the only Republican member representing New York City in Congress, representing a district spanning the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. She is a passionate advocate for animal rights and the strengthening of animal cruelty laws, and in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her chihuahua, Peanut.