A New Chapter at Lehman, One Tile at a Time
There's something new on the wall at our Lehman Village Older Adult Center, and every member had a hand in it.
The Love Wall is a community art project that started with a simple invitation: paint a tile. Each member took a blank square and made it their own, with colors, patterns, words and images that meant something to them. Then the tiles came together as a single mosaic. No two pieces are alike, and none of them would mean as much on its own. Put side by side, they tell the story of a center full of different people who have chosen to be a community.
The project is part of a broader season of renewal at Lehman, and at the center of it is our new Director, Eric Cooper.
Eric is no stranger to CBN. He started at our Luncheon Club almost two decades ago and has spent the years since in close, daily contact with the older adults we serve. Last year, Citymeals on Wheels named him a STAR Award honoree for his work as Home-Delivered Meals Coordinator. Citymeals noted that since the program launched, he hadn't let a single person go without lunch, sometimes delivering meals himself.
Now he brings that same commitment to Lehman.
"From the first position Eric held at the Luncheon Club almost two decades ago, right up to his taking over the Director position at our Lehman OAC, he has demonstrated compassion, insight, and a complete commitment to bettering the lives of older adults," says Marlena Vaccaro, Associate Executive Director of Carter Burden Network. "Daily, Eric's kindness and authenticity allow him to form relationships with CBN participants based on trust, understanding and genuine caring. To relate on a deeply human level to a diverse and often seriously in need population is Eric's superpower. It's been my absolute pleasure to work with him."
Come see it for yourself. The Love Wall is on display now at the Lehman Older Adult Center. Stop by, find your favorite tile, and say hello to Eric.
