The Backyard Metropolis headquarters of Life’s WORC, a nonprofit group that has fought for the rights of particular wants people for 50 years, was renamed the Victoria Schneps-Yunis Constructing on Wednesday in honor of its founder.
Schneps-Yunis can be the founding president of Schneps Media, the corporate that publishes Long Island Press, Dan’s Papers, amNew York Metro, the Queens Courier, Brooklyn Paper and extra. She based Life’s WORC in 1971 after discovering out of the deteriorating circumstances on the former Willowbrook State College on Staten Island, the place her daughter Lara Schneps had been. The ability was shut down after Geraldo Rivera uncovered the neglect at Willowbrook with a Peabody Award-winning sequence.
“The lady for whom this constructing is called is an ideal image of what has occurred,” Rivera stated. “Taking the tragedy of Lara and making Lara’s story everyone’s story. The story of affection, problem, and loss. The counterpoint to that story is the constructive story. Vicki has supplied an avenue I want might be replicated in all 50 states in each nation. It’s the technique to convey humanity and alternative. Vicki and Life’s WORC ship equality and alternative and optimism. And the completely happy ending is as completely happy as it may be for any citizen, any American.”
A cornerstone of what Life’s WORC does contains the constructing of group houses for folks with particular wants. The group has dozens of group houses that changed the warehouse-like circumstances of locations like Willowbrook and assists 1000’s of households.
Politicians had been in attendance for the occasion as effectively, together with Nassau County Government Bruce Blakeman, whose workplace is instantly throughout the road on the Theodore Roosevelt Government and Legislative Constructing.
“I’ll get to look out the window of my workplace day by day and see Vicki’s identify up there,” Blakeman stated on the occasion. “Vicki Schneps is the queen of media. You all noticed her entrance — we must always throw rose petals subsequent time. However I’m proud to have this establishment proper right here within the heart of Nassau County, as a result of we have now a really compassionate and type county. We’re very proud to have Life’s WORC in Nassau County.”
Suffolk County Government Steve Bellone was additionally in attendance.
“Vicki actually is the epitome of that concept that actually one particular person will help change the world,” Bellone stated. “She impressed others round her, who additionally needed to ensure that their family members had each alternative. She impressed them to consider that there was one thing extra, one thing higher that they and their family members deserved. And he or she impressed a younger journalist who shined the sunshine on this story.”
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams was a visitor of honor — and like Rivera, is a longtime pal of Schneps-Yunis.
“After I write my e book, there’s going to be a chapter on what she did to get me to turn out to be the mayor,” Adams stated. “How far again our relationship goes, and what number of lives she has touched. In the present day, we’re celebrating the harvest of a seed that was planted a few years in the past with a documentary that was finished by Geraldo Rivera and Vicki to lastly plant that seed. In the present day we’re seeing the fruits of the harvest as we construct the identify of the constructing because it’s named after my pal.”
Schneps-Yunis recalled the journey of each Life’s WORC and Schneps Media via the many years.
“It began really due to Geraldo, his protection and the distinction he made, and due to my pretty, lovely women who we began Life’s WORC with,” she stated. “After we began our activism, we had been knocking on air — till Geraldo got here along with his cameras. Folks listened and other people had been moved. So I stated, ‘Gee, that’s the press, I believe I’d like to do this in the future.’ And so I began with one newspaper in my lounge. And, after all, right this moment we personal 92 newspapers.”
She additionally recalled the story of her daughter, Lara.
“Lara was my firstborn youngster,” she stated. “She was my reward from God. She turned out to be a present to the world. She led me right here, the place we’re right this moment. She appeared helpless, as a result of she was mind broken when she was born, and was a 3 month previous developmentally her entire life. So she seemed to be helpless. However her existence helped 1000’s of individuals have a greater life.”
Schneps-Yunis additionally acknowledged the work of her kids, who had been in attendance, and her late former husband Murray Schneps, an legal professional who was a driving pressure behind the class-action federal lawsuit that closed Willowbrook and reformed psychological well being care.
“You’re the fruits of our labor, the fruits of our journey,” she stated to her kids. “And I couldn’t be right here with out your love and your heat and help. However Murray was a warrior. And he noticed that Willowbrook might by no means be proper. I used to be an advocate. And you already know, we wanted each of us and we had been a dynamite couple the place he fought within the courts. And it was the Willowbrook consent decree that we gained.”
The ceremony was closed out with a toast to Schneps-Yunis by Lynne Koufakis, board chair of Life’s WORC.
“We simply wish to maintain going ahead,” Koufakis stated. ”As Vicki stated earlier than, there’s a lot that must be finished. And all of you right here right this moment. We all know you’re all right here for a similar causes, and we simply need to maintain working collectively. And I do know we’ll make it higher.”
Donations to Life’s WORC can be made. here.