History and Development of the Stephanie Joyce Foundation On April 30, 1972, when Stephanie Joyce Kahn and her husband were driving home from the ballet at Manhattan's Lincoln Center having just enjoyed Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn in Romeo and Juliet, their car was hit from behind and the near fatal impact forced Kahn, who was wearing the waist-only seat belt available then, into the dashboard resulting in a broken back, ruptured spleen and stomach and breaking every bone in her face. She endured l6 operations for injuries to her body. No procedure could be done to save her sight which had been destroyed forever. During the latter period of her hospitalization, she took advantage of a federally sponsored program for individuals who were blind called “Talking Books” which provided books read aloud on cassettes. Her first selection, “Tracy and Hepburn,” a best seller in 1972, brought Kahn enjoyment, comfort and some relief from her pain, fears and anguish. She vowed to herself if she ever recovered from her “nightmare”, she would expand the “Talking Books” program to sighted individuals free of charge who suffered from conditions that prevented them from reading, holding a book or even understanding the written word. In 1976, after meeting in Washington, D.C. with the Library of Congress and explaining her thought that “Talking Books” should be expanded to include sighted individuals, she was given permission to make copies of their recorded books. She then started the Stephanie Joyce Kahn Foundation, Inc. Listening Therapy Program at South Nassau Communities Hospital with two custom-designed electric carts that could hold and recharge 15 cassette players and 50 audio selections. That first year the Foundation provided listening therapy to 2,000 patients. Now, the program serves more than 6,000 patients each month free of charge at participating hospitals, nursing and extended care facilities and the homebound. To date, SJK has served over 2.5 million recipients - all free of charge. The late Elena Perez, senior vice president and market development manager on Long Island for Bank of America and board member of the Foundation, received an SJK "Special Angel," an award established to thank in a very personal way an individual who has helped further the purpose of the SJK Listening Therapy Program. Each beautifully crafted angel is different and selected specifically for its honoree. Perez treasured her “Special Angel,” bestowed in honor of her creative vision that helped move forward the mission of SJK. Kahn explained, “In the 90’s I made a proposal to Fleet Bank (now BOA) to obtain a grant, which we got. The next year we began a pilot program that we were trying to get off the ground, “Kids Helping Kids,” which encourages students to collaborate to create original stories, written, recorded and illustrated by students. I approached BOA again and met with Elena to outline what we were trying to do. “The program was a huge success and I later received a call from Elena asking us to enter a contest submitting “Kids Helping Kids” as a community service program being carried out at Long Beach High School. We entered and won the grand prize of $15,000. Elena and I and our board were all blown away and we used a good portion of our winnings to put a soundproof recording studio in the high school. I felt Elena had given us a great opportunity. She had the foresight to realize even though the contest was going out to high schools that we would fit in to the category of community service. That is when I invited her to come onto our board. She accepted because, she told us, she loved what we were doing and wanted to be part of it. She came to every meeting and she was like a lightning rod.” SJK Listening Therapy selections are as diversified as the populations of any hospital where there is every race, religion and financial status represented. 99% of those who benefit from the program are sighted but unable to read in the conventional way. Their growing library includes; bestsellers, non-fiction and biographies often read by their authors, children and young adult, old time radio shows, inspiration/religious/spirituality and self help. When someone is sick, in pain or on medication, they don't have the stamina to get into full-length books so SJK looks for condensations. Currently, SJK programs include: children & adults with special needs, children & adults in-hospital, homebound services, the SJK cancer care program, adult day care program, a nursing home program and SJK "Kids Helping Kids." Sponsors can be confident that all donations from individuals, businesses, service organizations and colleges go directly to programming. "Children," said Kahn, "have been a primary focus at SJK, as they represent a large percentage of listeners. Whether they are in a pediatric unit or attending a school for special needs, the response to our children's program has been overwhelmingly positive. Now, in response to an ever increasing demand, we have expanded to include adults with developmental disabilities. Whether attending a day program and returning to a group home or living at home, the entire special needs population can now benefit from SJK Listening Therapy. We have in place a pilot program in three group homes through the Long Island Office of Developmental Disabilities. In Partial proceeds the David Awards breakfast donated to the SJK Foundation, Inc. Listening Therapy Program will be earmarked towards its Children Listening Therapy program.
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