Why ROCKLAND COUNTY is a great place to live !

One of the brightest stars in the celestial sphere of compassion, kindness and humanitarianism is the "Habitat For Humanity" in ROCKLAND COUNTY.

"Habitat for Humanity" was established in the late 1990’s. It’s about 25 years old. There are approximately 25 regular volunteers ( construction teams, board members etc. ). About one third are woman. It has built 10 homes -> 4 in Hillburn, 4 in Haverstraw and 2 in Spring Valley. It gets no money from Habitat International although they are an affiliate, nor from the government, so they rely solely on donations from our community and companies to invest in Rockland. It's a very real charity of kindness, practical kindness, kindness that endures.

This is its most recent mission of caring and kindness.

The story begins in the 40’s/50’s, when a lady named Maggie Conway moved from her childhood home in Florida to New York and began working at what was then named Rockland State Hospital and living in its staff quarters. After marrying and having children she needed to find larger living quarters, which she did at the Post-WWII Camp Shanks housing in the Town of Orangetown. In time the Federal Government offered the housing for purchase, but practically speaking, not to people of color. In 1955, Maggie, who from her earliest childhood years was taught by her parents to always buy/own your own home even before buying a car, decided to buy a privately owned house on the edge of the Rockland State Hospital campus.

To be able to afford the house, Maggie decided to become a "Family Care Home" provider to folks being discharged from the hospital. At that time, a "Family Care Home" was limited to four people of the same gender, so she applied for a license and was told that it would take a long time to secure a license because there was a great demand for licenses to take in lady discharges. Being Maggie, she asked for a license to serve males because no one in Rockland wanted to serve men of color who were victims of mental illness.

That is when Maggie clearly demonstrated who she was, and for a long time four gentlemen shared a loving home with Maggie and her children.

However, it soon became evident that operating a State licensed Family Care Home could not be done at her high standard on only $150 a month per person, so she applied to be a Boarding Home. For many years after (up to 1999, around 4o plus years in total) Maggie made a loving home for 4 to 15 gentlemen of color recovering from their hospitalizations, and for her children.

When Father Time told Maggie it was time to retire in 1999, she offered to sell the house to Loeb House, Inc., which is a Not-For-Profit local charity which is the largest Rockland County operator of community residences for the mentally ill. I was one of the five County Government members who created Loeb House. This offer was made with the understanding that its mission and name should be kept as a tribute to her past. Loeb House, Inc. still operates the Maggie Conway House as a boarding house for 20 good folks of all colors and genders to whom life has been cruel. It is a much-loved oasis that exists with very modest government funding and the generous support of the Rockland Community under the name of “Joseph’s Home, Inc.,” [named after my late older Brother]. However, even with the generous support of time, labor, goods and food, the Maggie Conway House needs a face lift, especially in its five bathrooms.

ROCKLAND COUNTY Habitat For Humanity to the rescue !

This "Blessing of compassion or kindness" is the inner spirit of "Habitat For Humanity". The volunteers donate their skills, time, labor for strangers. Some are not youngsters. They create for families what every family needs most...a home. In the case of Maggie's, an existing home for 20 of our fellow human beings, it is giving the home a fresh face.

Habitat For Humanity is a place where anyone of any age can belong. There is always some chore that doesn't need a specific skill, or a chore that might give someone a needed or desired skill. It's a perfect destination for retirees who are looking to keep busy and maybe do God's work and a charity that puts their contributions to a practical purpose.