Photos: Faces of Hope
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Brian Barr of Guilderland, president of the Senior Hope Counseling Board, displays a necktie that was colored two decades ago by a little girl, at age 7 or 8, who had been born with HIV, contracted at birth from her mother. He told the girl he would wear the tie on days like Wednesday when he was bringing people together.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Nicole MacFarland, executive director of Senior Hope, tells a gathering at an open house on Wednesday, “Our senior team of professionals focus on adults to regain purpose.” The program is to help adults 50 and older who want to break addictive habits. McFarland went on, “We are also a training site for new leaders in the field” with interns on site at 650 Warren Street in Albany.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Stephen Giordano, who heads the Albany County Department of Mental Health, said, “It’s a blessing to see an idea become a thing.” William Rockwood and his wife, Adrienne, founded the program in 2002 with a novel approach, rather than just abstinence. “Our program is not to change them,” William Rockwood wrote of the program’s elderly clients. “Our goal is to give them the tools they need to recapture the essence of who they truly are.” Giordano said of Senior Hope, “You’re a jewel in our system.”
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, commissioner of the state’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, said, “We have a difficult time putting together programs to help with the stigmas. Addiction affects everyone across the state … I’m here to help treat the addiction.” In 2014, she said, there was a 17 percent increase in admissions for people 50 or older needing treatment. Researchers have predicted that adults over 50 with substance-abuse problems will double from 2.5 million in 1999 to 5 million in 2020.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Sherri, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, said when she landed in the Albany County’s jail in 2004, she knew she needed to change her life. “Senior Hope was perfect for me,” she said, praising “an amazing, amazing staff.” She concluded, “Everything I have today is owed to Senior Hope.” She is now learning how to help others suffering from addiction.