Tales of Adventure, Generosity, and Fun: These are the People We Serve
Read an excerpt below from Leading Age’s article in which Felecia Sveda, VP of Hospitality Services at Lenbrook discusses the achievements of Michael Halpern, Lenbrook Resident and recipient of the Positive Aging Icon Award.
Michael Halpern co-founded the nonprofit inner-city mentoring program Yes! Atlanta in 1988 and helped lead the organization for more than 27 years. He was honored by Leading Age Georgia at its annual Positive Aging Icon Award ceremony on November 18 at the Atlanta History Center.
YES! stands for “Youth Experiencing Success.” The organization’s goal is to give at-risk teenagers a chance to experience personal success based on long-term, regular support by committed, caring, and trained adults. As Halpern explains, “It started with a small group of citizens concerned about despair among inner-city youth. We designed our first Rising Star program in 1990; Coaching for Success, working with the Juvenile Court, was launched in 1993. Over the years, YES!Atlanta impacted the lives of nearly 1,000 teenagers by focusing on these 5 program cornerstones: Possibility, Responsibility, Commitment, Support, and Forgiveness.”
All who know and have worked with Halpern know that when he takes on a responsibility, he gives it his all.
Halpern serves as chair of Lenbrook’s Buildings and Grounds Committee, and used his 4-plus decades of experience in residential homebuilding and design to help plan Lenbrook’s new library last year. Today, he is on the committees working with Lenbrook management to plan renovations to the community’s Bistro, a casual dining venue.
To read the full article, click the link below:
https://www.leadingage.org/magazine/march-april-2019/People-We-Serve-XL-V9N2