A Historic Rockland Revolution of 50 Years Ago

It's important for Rockland folks under the age of 50 to know that Rockland was once the home of one of the world's largest and most extensive government operated facilities for both children & adults who were intellectually & developmentally disabled, a congenital infirmity. Its name was/is Letchworth Village. It was in the Towns of Stony Point & Haverstraw. It was home to over 5,500 adults & children.

It was created in the 1930s as a very noble and compassionate endeavor, a visionary community designed for folks who required almost every manifestation of personal human needs, a "Village" of their own.

In the 1960's the nation learned by the efforts of a bold investigating Reporter that the dream had turned into a nightmare. That Reporter was/is Geraldo Rivera, who brought his cameras and eyes behind the walls/locked doors and shared what he learned with the world, which was ugly & de-humanizing. It happened at the Willowbrook State School for children in Staten Island, but was mirrored by Letchworth Village. It triggered a State-wide revolution for change based on horror.

It that same period of time, there was a lady, a mother, named Kathy Lukens, who was leading a County wide revolution to bring needed and unavailable services to all intellectually/developmentally folks, beginning with children, one of whom was her son, David.

Kathy was gifted with the power of bringing revelation, enlightenment, inspiration, motivation to not only other parents, but to an otherwise unaware population, who did not have such folks in their family.

Her passion, literary, oratorical, and leadership genius brought the State Revolution to Rockland in a storm and created a new more enlightened humanitarian culture of of care. Her accomplishments are legendary and on Saturday, November 7th, from 7 t0 8 PM, Kathy's greatest personal legacy, the 5Oth Anniversary of Camp Venture, will be celebrated on the internet.

You will will be awestruck and enjoy her story. Ergo, I strongly recommend going to

https://fifty.venturefoundation.org/celebrate/