A Little Help From John Beresford Tipton: The church said that it is not getting all the increase they  wanted from the Department of Social Services, but that the difference is being made up by an anonymous donor. That gift was announced during a service Sunday morning at Grace Episcopal Church.  That "difference," between what the D.S.S. is raising their contract amount and what the church wanted was not disclosed. Photo by WPCNR News.

The terms of the contract and the percentage of increase Samaritan House were not disclosed in the news release, and Westchester County Director of Communications and Chief Advisor to County Executive Spano, Susan Tolchin did not have the actual contract increase and rent increase (reported as only 5%), given available to WPCNR  when WPCNR contacted her at 5:45 P.M for those figures.

Ms. Tolchin said she would attempt to get them for WPCNR if the D.S.S. was still available at this hour.

WPCNR has since learned that Samaritan House will receive $599,203 from D.S.S. to run the shelter, some $222,000 to $300,000 short of what Samaritan was reported as requesting according to print media reports over the last month. Samaritan received $598,752 last year. Apparently, the D.S.S. did not quite feel Samaritan House numbers added up.

No figure has come out as to what Grace Community Church is going to get to run what they say in their press release is a combined Open Arms-Samaritan House operation, splitting services between the two operations (Open Arms and Samaritan House).

WPCNR awaits Ms. Tolchin to get back to us with more detailed figures on the rent increase, and what Grace Church Community Services is getting to run both operations.

The shortfall, estimated to be about $200,000 to $300,000 by Samaritan House  statements given to other media will be made up by the donor.

As long as Financially Able.

Mr. D’Ambrosio, head of GCCC said, in a statement:  “Our intention is to keep the shelter open as long as the community needs it, and as long as we are financially able to,” he said.

D'Ambrosio described the new contract as  reimbursing  the GCCC for more actual costs associated with operating Samaritan House, and as providing an increase in the rent received by Grace Church based on a determination by the Office of Real Estate and Economic Development at the request of County Legislator Bill Ryan and the DSS. Sal Carrera officially informed County Legislator Ryan that a rent increase was justified last week.

Not All they Wanted. Enter the Donor

D'Ambrosio said in the release that the increase in the contract did not "meet the full request of the church"  and is being made up for by an anonymous donor who has donated the difference. It was not specified in the announcement whether the difference is to be in cash or "work services."

The anonymous donor is believed widely to be Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer developing next door.  However, Bruce Berg, Mr. Cappelli's President and close associate told WPCNR Monday he knew nothing about any anonymous donor, essentially denying that his boss was Samaritan's angel.

Cash or Services?

The Rev. Vincent said, “The gift, by an anonymous donor, will enable the church to recover its real costs for housing Samaritan House, for the first time in twenty years.”  She added that the church continues to subsidize the GCCC soup kitchen, day care and other programs run by the GCCC, which according to the news release employs 120 full-time and part-time employees. 

 The Samaritan House wing is also slated for significant renovations in 2005/6, which will be executed by Mr. Cappelli gratis, as he has promised $1,000,000 in work services to refurbish Samaritan House and the entire church annex with new heating and air conditioning, new bathrooms, windows, and furnishings. Mr. Berg, speaking to WPCNR Monday said that work would be begun when plans are completed with Grace Church, and they have not been completed yet, he said.

The gift from the donor and its form was not disclosed.

Revised Proposal Flies

The GCCC news release described the agreement reached as being  "a revised proposal  (reported by WPCNR last week) for Samaritan House to the DSS during their meeting on December 8, 2004.  The revision involves a restructuring of Samaritan House to make it a satellite shelter of the GCCC Open Arms Shelter.  The restructuring allows for combined administration and food service while maintaining full client care services and supervision for Samaritan House and Open Arms residents." 

The news release states the church "is pleased  that the DSS worked with us on the restructuring and gave it their approval.  We look forward to continuing our partnership of service to homeless women and men of Westchester County."

Carlos Muñoz, (Chairman of the GCCC Board) stated: “The senior staff of the GCCC worked diligently to come up with a creative proposal that would allow the GCCC to continue to operate Samaritan House and the church to receive a long overdue rent increase, all at little additional cost to the County.  We consider this a major achievement for our Samaritan House residents and for the taxpayers of Westchester County.” 

Not cooperative with Request for Justification.

Originally, Grace Church Community Services did not work "diligently" at all  on a "creative proposal."

The organization had refused to justify their cost increase to the Department of Social Services when asked for documentation. That cost increase was put out to other media at various times by Samaritan House as being $300,000 then $222,000 and then $300,000, and most recently back to $222,000.  Oddly, Mr. D'Ambrosio himself told the Department of Social Services in a telephone call that Samaritan House was closing, rather even attempt to negotiate the increase down, according to Ms. Tolchin.

The Reverend Blows the Whistle.

 It was only when Reverend George Sinzer, an Universal Life Church minister, who had brought his friend, Kathy Sullivan to the shelter November 1, found out about the closing through Ms. Sullivan that the story of the closing was reported.

Sinzer was shocked to find out when Ms. Sullivan told him the Samaritan House was closing.  He then advised NewsCenter 4 of the impending closing  on November 18, and News Center 4 broke the story in a telecast on Monday, November 22, that the Church attitude changed. Before the NewsCenter 4 story, the congregation of Grace Church had not been informed of the closing plans.

Samaritan House was induced to return to the negotiating table by a concerned county government, and the embarrassment of being caught in charges they were closing the shelter in return for Mr. Cappelli's million dollar gift.

Mr. Cappelli denied to WPCNR that there was any "quid pro quo," in the Samaritan House closing announcement and the $1,000,000 gift coincidence  (originally reported as cash, but revealed by the CitizeNetReporter to be work and services).

Ryan to the Rescue. Schwartz Facilitates.

The news report succeeded in producing a dialogue between the County and the Grace Church on working to save the shelter, spearheaded by Mr. Ryan and Ms. Bronz. Ryan told Samaritan House they acted too hastily and petulantly  in closing and admonished them for not justifying costs and negotiating. He also extracted a promise from the Department of Social Services that they, too were committed to keep Samaritan House open. The ensuing negotiations with Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz mediating resulted in resolving all major issues except the rent.