WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From Grace Church. (Edited) August 10, 2005: The Board of Directors of Grace Church Community Center has announced the appointment of Mr. Paul Anderson-Winchell of Bloomingburg, NY as its new Executive Director. Mr. Anderson-Winchell took up his position on Monday, August 8, 2005.
Paul Anderson-Winchell, New Executive Director, Grace Church Community Center. Photo, Courtesy, Grace Church
“We are very pleased that Mr. Anderson-Winchell has accepted his appointment. He brings over 28 years of senior management experience and a passion for serving the most vulnerable members of our society to the position. He has administered a wide range of community, residential and treatment programs serving youth, adults, the elderly and individuals of all ages with disabilities,” said The Rev. Janet Vincent, President, Grace Church Community Center
Most recently, Mr. Anderson-Winchell served as Licensed Nursing Home Administrator of the Fishkill Health Center in Fishkill, New York, managing a Certified Home Care Program, an Adult Foster Family Care Program and a 62-bed Skilled Nursing facility.
He received his Master’s in Public Administration from Marist University in 1997 and a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University. In 2004, he received his Nursing Home Administrator’s License.
Mr. Anderson-Winchell’s career began in residential treatment for abused, neglected and emotionally disturbed children. Moving to the Hudson Valley in 1982, he began a 13-year period of working with Developmentally Disabled Children and Adults with United Cerebral Palsy of Ulster County, including eight years as Director of Residential Services. Prior to this, he administered a Title XX funded School Age Day Care Program in inner city Philadelphia.
He was the founding Executive Director of Boys and Girls Club in Orange County, which serves at risk children through after-school and summer day-camp youth development programs. He has since become Vice President of the Board of Directors and Program Committee Chair, helping to expand its services and secure local, state, corporate and federal grants.
Mr. Anderson-Winchell’s concern for the dignity and welfare of all individuals has led him to Grace Church Community Center. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead Grace Church Community Center as the next Executive Director. I believe that my 28 years of providing services to individuals and their families has led me to this Oasis of Hope. I was drawn to the passion and commitment the board and staff of GCCC have demonstrated for the past 26 years as they carried out their mission of serving the neediest of our community.”
“I am committed to continuing this legacy by working tirelessly to ensure the dignity and welfare of all the individuals whose lives we touch as we continue to provide services which are both respectful and caring, and which empower individuals and families to take control of the decisions that impact their lives. It is through this shared vision and values that the board and staff of Grace Church Community Center will possess the energy, determination and entrepreneurial spirit which enable us to identify the unmet fundamental human needs of our neighbors and, with the help of a caring community, find ways to address them, ” commented Mr. Anderson-Winchell.
GCCC, a non-sectarian, non-profit organization, is the largest social services agency in Westchester. Its mission is to serve the county’s neediest and most at-risk residents, particularly those who are not served by other resources. In 2004, GCCC assisted over 5,000 individuals, providing over 120,000 meals through its Soup Kitchen and shelter programs. In addition to the soup kitchen and shelters for men and women, GCCC operates a summer camp for homeless children, a drop-in center for developmentally disabled adults, home health care for the elderly and housing services to prevent homelessness and eviction.
Mr. Anderson-Winchell lives with his wife, Amy Anderson-Winchell in Bloomingburg, NY. He has a son, Aaron and a daughter, Marta. He is an active member of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church where he served as superintendent of Christian Education.
An enthusiastic volunteer for youth soccer, he has been honored by the Town of Wallkill Human Rights Commission for his work and advocacy with youth. In 2003, the United Way of Orange County bestowed Mr. Anderson-Winchell with the prestigious Marion S. Murphy Neighbors Helping Neighbors Volunteer Award.
Mr. Anderson-Winchell will be welcomed and introduced during the regular Sunday, 10:00 am service at Grace Church, 33 Church Street, White Plains on September 11, 2005.
For more information about Grace Community Center and its varied programs, please visit its Web site at www.gracecommunitycenter.org.
