2008 David Awards Charitable Recipient
STEPHANIE JOYCE KAHN
Founder, SJK Foundation, Inc. Listening Therapy Program
Dedicated to the Distribution of Audio Recordings Free of Charge to the hospitalized, homebound and disabled

STORY BY SALLY GILHOOLEY
COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Denis Sheahan

In 2006, on the 30th anniversary of the SJK Foundation, Inc., founder Stephanie Joyce Kahn said, "The words, 'One does not find their purpose, their purpose finds them', surely were written for me, as I could never have imagined almost three decades ago that more than 2 million individuals would ultimately benefit from this (SJK Listening Therapy Program), all free of charge."

Formerly a piano teacher, Stephanie Joyce Kahn's “purpose” began on the evening of April 30, 1972, when she 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.

She said, "There's no doubt that my Dad, the late Stanley M. Kahn, a physician who stayed with me at my hospital bedside for the entire six and a half months, was responsible for saving my life as he orchestrated every aspect of my surgeries and medical care.

“During the latter period of my hospitalization, I was told that I was now eligible for a federally sponsored program for individuals who were blind called ‘Talking Books.’ This program which provided books read aloud on cassettes was now available to me. I vividly remember my first selection, Tracy and Hepburn, which was a best seller in 1972. Listening to my first audio book was a revelation. The words were so enjoyable, so comforting…and my thoughts started to drift into a different place. There were minutes and soon hours at a time that the pain, fears and anguish of my entire ordeal were set aside. I remember thinking that if I were to create a list entitled “The Positive Aspects of Being Blind,” these recordings would be at the top of the list!

“I promised myself that if I ever recovered from my nightmare, I would do everything necessary to expand the listening book 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."

When Kahn was finally able to go home, she found her house was going to be repossessed and her husband was no longer with the family. Kahn was devastated and she and her children moved in with her parents in Lido Beach. At the time, she weighed just 80 pounds.

In 1976, Kahn typed a letter to the Library of Congress explaining her thought that "Talking Books" should be expanded to include sighted individuals who were unable to read in the conventional manner because of physical limitations. A Library director, Frank Cylke, invited her to Washington and gave her permission to make copies of their recorded books.

After being given the green light, she 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.

In 1979, Kahn married Bill Kinsolving whom she met while vacationing in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together they have raised Kahn’s two daughters, both now married, Jill Carrello of Huntington and Heather Licata of Long Beach.

Texas-born Kinsolving, a former chief engineer for Sunoco who then went to work for the largest off-shore diving company in the world was one of only four divers in the world who could go below 300 feet with 500 amps of electricity in hand to cut metal for the oil companies. Kinsolving later developed a method of building special fish traps to get deepwater fish to come to the surface and was soon bringing in 8,000 lbs. weekly. He marketed his catch throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands and offered special seafood dishes in his world renowned St. Thomas restaurant, a favorite of the Kahn family, created from a huge barge Kinsolving had brought up from the bottom of the sea. He says of Kahn, “She completely changed my life spiritually and emotionally.” Today, he is a full time volunteer at the Foundation. Stephanie Kahn calls him "The Wind beneath My Wings."

In the 80's, Kahn heard in a radio interview by the late John Cardinal O'Connor expressing regret that the people who really needed to hear his words were probably not able to hear him. She called St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City to tell them about SJK and how it could help the Cardinal reach the audience who could most benefit from his inspiring talks. He agreed to record his homilies from St. Patrick's Cathedral exclusively for SJK.

Kahn said, “Later, we were invited to the Cathedral and were privileged to have a private meeting in the Cardinal’s quarters. It was a serendipitous occasion during which Cardinal O'Connor told me that he had been raised by a blind mother. Cardinal O’Connor was the recipient of the first SJK “Special Angel” 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.

“The late Elena Perez, a senior vice president and market development manager on Long Island for Bank of America and board member of our Foundation, received an SJK “Special Angel,” an award she treasured, honoring her for 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 in person with Elena to outline what we were trying to do. Elena said, ‘This is great,’ and we received a grant allowing us to start the program at Long Beach High School.

“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 which was $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.

"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 addition to recordings they can get a cassette player, earphones and headset. They can listen to music or a book, anything from Disney to Harry Potter - all free of charge.

“Our selections are as diversified as the populations of any hospital where you have every race, religion and financial status represented. 99% of those who benefit from the SJK Listening Therapy Program are sighted but unable to read in the conventional way. Our 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 we look for condensations.

“Through the generosity of people who know about our programs, we have gotten cartons of audio books from major publishers of them such as Scholastic, Random House and Simon and Schuster. We received 2,000 Walkmans through a pharmaceutical company and Duracell sent us 8,000 batteries. We like to get used audio books and music on cassette tapes or CDs and will send a prepaid mailing sticker to those who donate them.

“The most important ingredient for our mission to be able to continue and grow is sponsorships from individuals, businesses, service organizations and colleges,” said Kahn. “Sponsors can be confident that their donations will go directly to programming.”

She added, "Currently, SJK programs include: children & adults with special needs, children & adults in-hospital, homebound services, our SJK cancer care program, adult day care program, a nursing home program and SJK ‘Kids Helping Kids.’

Stephanie Joyce Kahn is the recipient of many awards. Among them are: the President's Volunteer Action Award; NYS Senate Woman of Distinction Award; Newsday Long Islander of the Century; NYS Eleanor Roosevelt Community Service Award; Gilbert Tilles Award; DeWitt Clinton Masonic Award; Jewish War Veteran George Levy Humanitarian Award; The Ricky Award; Jefferson Award and the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative 2005 Local Hero Award, Bank of America Higher Standards.

Partial proceeds from Networking® magazine’s 2008 David Awards breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club, Thursday, January 17, 7:30 am. dedicated to the memory of Elena Perez will be donated to the SJK Foundation, Inc. Listening Therapy Program and will be earmarked towards its Children Listening Therapy program.

Stephanie Joyce Kahn Foundation Inc. is a not-for-profit 501-C3 charitable agency dedicated to the FREE distribution of audio cassette recordings and CD's of bestsellers, children's popular and award winning literature, old time radio shows and inspirational material to hospital patients, nursing home residents, A.H.R.C. students and homebound children and adults who are unable to read the written world due to physical, mental or visual limitations. For the seriously ill, SJK is a therapeutic adjunct to medical care providing comfort, diversion and enjoyment while alleviating stress, sleeplessness, depression and pain. For information contact: The SJK Foundation, Inc., 2-12 West Park Ave. Suite 210, Long Beach, NY, 11561. 516-889-5105. www.sjkfoundation.org

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