A newly-constructed building complex with three affordable apartments was officially dedicated and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, June 2 in Mohegan Lake.
Known as Freedom Homes at Freedom Gardens for the Handicapped, the rental apartments are located at 1680 Strawberry Road.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $1.2 million building was conducted by members of the Freedom Gardens Board and its president Frank Harris, a Somers resident.
Gary Kleiber, a Cortlandt Manor resident, is vice president of Freedom Gardens who has been spearheading the construction of the approximately 3,300 square-foot, one-story structure. It has three one-bedroom, fully-accessible affordable apartments for mobility-impaired residents. It also has a large community room and an outside garden patio.
Freedom Gardens for the Handicapped is a not-for-profit corporation that has been around since the 1960s. It manages and maintains its five-acre complex of small homes which provide independent living for physically-challenged adults and their families.
Earlier this year, perspective tenants were narrowed down to 36 people during a lottery drawing. Three finalists for the one-bedroom units will to be chosen before the new building opens.
In addition to President Harris and Vice President Kleiber, other volunteer board members of Freedom Gardens involved in this multi-year building project have been Chuck Schweiss of Hopewell Junction, also a vice president; Jeff Held of Mohegan Lake, treasurer; and Trustees Ed Herzog and Mel Tanzman of Mohegan, and Beri Harris of Somers. Evelyn Pacheco is the on-site resident representative. Bob Foley of Cortlandt Manor has been volunteer public relations advisor to Freedom Gardens.
Gilberto Torres, resident manager, maintains the buildings and grounds of the Freedom Gardens complex.
Through the efforts of Alan Gordon, deputy director of HAC, funding for the new Freedom Homes units was provided by the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corp., Westchester County, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, the Leviticus Fund and Freedom Gardens itself. Continuous tax-deductible funding will be raised by Freedom Gardens through an on-going building campaign.
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