BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY January 13, 2019 6
‘Do It For Jason’ blood drive held for loved Pelham Bay 20-year-old
BY ALEX MITCHELL
A wonderful cause
in Pelham Bay received
overwhelming support
from the Bronx community.
A blood drive in memory
of the late 20-yearold
Jason Michael Concepcion
Elukowich was
hosted by the American
Red Cross at American
Legion Post 620 at 1530
Hutchinson River Parkway
on Thursday, January
3.
Called ‘Do It For Jason,’
the blood collection
drive fi lled the American
Legion Post with willing
donors, eager to give back
in memory of a young
man that left this world
too soon.
Jason had just fi nished
his sophomore semester
at SUNY Plattsburg when
he returned home for a
May dentist appointment
to have a wisdom tooth
removed
One week after the
procedure, he fell ill and
was admitted to the Children’s
Hospital at Montefi
ore, diagnosed with
a rare disease called hemophagocytic
lymphohist
iocytosis.
HLH is an acquired or
inherited blood disease
caused by the over production
of certain white
blood cells, which leads
to organ damage and the
quick formation of tumors,
according to Histiocytosis
Association.
Jason’s dormant disease
was triggered by
the infection related to
the dental procedure, his
mother Irene Guanill recalled
the doctors telling
her. He passed away soon
after that on Friday,
June, 22.
After donating a pint
of her own blood, Guanill
refl ected on her son’s
memories and the special
bond she and Jason
shared for two decades.
“He was good to everyone,
if you were cool or
if you were a bit nerdy, it
didn’t matter,” she said
recalling his high school
years at Archbishop
Stepinac High School.
While Jason enjoyed
sports like pole vaulting
in high school, he also
enjoyed the role as Stepinac’s
mascot for some
time as well, showcasing
his fun-fi lled and energetic
personality that
would literally light up a
room.
He loved and was loved
by many, but nobody
could come close to sharing
the bond between Jason
and his mother Irene,
she said.
The bond was so special
that even in high
school, Jason would allow
his mother to walk him to
the bus stop every morning,
never giving a second
thought to how his actions
would be perceived
by his peers.
“We all knew he was
too old to have his mom
walk him to the bus, but
he didn’t care, he loved me
and he let me be a mom,”
Guanill said, mentioning
how there were times
when she offered to make
him breakfast on some
mornings and he would
literally sit her down, and
say “No mom, I’m going
to make you breakfast.”
As a proud member of
Boy Scout Troop 182, Jason
achieved the prestigious
rank of Eagle Scout
before heading to Plattsburgh
to pursue a major
in Psychology.
In college he took up
rugby and quickly fell
in love with the sport.
During the blood drive,
a group of six-foot tall
college rugby players arrived
to make their blood
donations, telling Guanill
what a difference her son
had made in their lives.
The next blood drive
for Jason will be held in
April at Stepinac. Following
that one another blood
drive is being planned
for July; one donation of
blood gets distributed to
three patients in need.
Currently, Irene is
working on creating a mural
of Jason for her home
called ‘Pennies From
Heaven,’ made entirely
from of loose change.
When attending one
of the upcoming blood
drives, bring pennies for
Irene, so she can complete
her memorial to Jason’s
memory.
(l-r) Irene Guanill, Jason’s mother; Sheila Toth, Post 620 event manager
and Sade Pierre, American Red Cross are all smiles with the
donations made in honor of Jason. Photo by Fernando Justiniano
Foxy Management arranges fi nancing for Arthur Ave. housing
Foxy Management announced
it has closed
on the financing of the
planned Arthur Avenue
Apartments. Located in
Belmont, the 177-unit new
construction community
is expected to be completed
in early 2021. Upon completion,
Arthur Avenue
Apartments will provide
housing to seniors ages
62 and above and permanent
supportive housing
to homeless and medically
frail seniors. The Arthur
Avenue project represents
the second collaboration
between Foxy and its partners
at The Hebrew Home
at Riverdale.
Arthur Avenue Apartments
will consist of one
9-story building clad in
black and white exterior
panels, housing both studio
and one-bedroom units.
The development will focus
on ‘biophilic’ amenities
that are aimed at connecting
residents with the
natural world, including
a green wall in the lobby,
an integrated greenhouse
and community room with
teaching kitchen, and a
working vegetable garden
where seniors will be
encouraged to grow their
own food and share with
their community. Other
common amenities include
laundry, on-site management,
two elevators, large
community rooms connected
to outdoor terraces,
a social services suite,
bike storage, secured entry
with intercoms and
case management services
provided by on-site staff.
Unit amenities will include
PTAC air-conditioning
units, luxury vinyl flooring,
window coverings and
grab bars.
The $91 million development
is being financed using
a combination of taxexempt
bonds issued by
the New York State Housing
Finance Agency, and
additional subsidies provided
by HFA and the NYC
Department of Housing
Preservation and Development
through its Senior
Affordable Rental Assistance
program, and syndicated
tax credit equity.
The construction period
tax-exempt bonds are
being credit enhanced by
Chase. The $36 million
in tax credit equity was
financed through an investment
from a Freddie
Mac Low-Income Housing
Tax Credit Fund with Boston
Financial Investment
Management.
The Hebrew Home at
Riverdale will provide robust
supportive services to
54 medically frail, homeless
seniors. These services
include individual
and group intensive case
management geared to acclimating
a formerly homeless
population from city’s
shelter system to stable
community living. Other
offerings support physical
and emotional wellness,
financial management,
health services including
prevention and maintenance,
community social
engagement, art and educational
programming.
“We look forward to
providing much needed
services to one of New
York City’s most vulnerable
populations, and
helping them acclimate
and ultimately flourish
in this exciting, new community.
We are grateful
to Foxy Management and
our other Arthur Avenue
partners for making this
vision of safe, affordable
housing for older adults a
reality,” said Daniel Reingold,
president and CEO of
RiverSpring Health, featuring
the Hebrew Home
at Riverdale.
Project-based Section
8 rental subsidy is being
provided by HPD, with
additional rental subsidy
and ongoing operational
funding for supportive services
provided by the NYS
Department of Health under
the Empire State Supportive
Housing Initiative.
Arthur Avenue Apartments
is designed to meet
Enterprise Green Communities
criteria with a host
of planned sustainable
features, including EnergyStar
appliances, highefficiency
boilers and hot
water heating systems.
Bronx-based Foxy Management
began assembling
the site in mid-2017
and successfully acquired
three contiguous parcels
of land over a 12-month period
of time. Foxy also successfully
arranged for the
transfer of nearly 15,000
square feet of ‘air rights’
by capitalizing on recent
changes to the NYC Zoning
Resolution’s Affordable Independent
Residences for
Seniors, or AIRS.
“As New Yorkers we believe
it is our obligation
to offer appropriate and
affordable housing to our
senior community, and at
Foxy Management it is our
privilege to provide it. We
hope this project will set
the standard for future
senior development in the
city,” said Jeff Fox, principal
of Foxy Management.
“This investment is
helping to provide supportive
housing to senior
citizens who are most in
need,” said David Leopold,
vice president of Targeted
Affordable Sales & Investments
at Freddie Mac.
“This is exactly the kind
of meaningful transaction
we envisioned in establishing
our LIHTC equity fund
with Boston Financial,
and we could not be more
pleased by this collaboration
with Foxy and Hebrew
Home. This important financing
will improve the
quality of life for dozens of
Bronx seniors.”
“Arthur Avenue Apartments
will have a lasting
impact on the Bronx community,
providing seniors
with an affordable and
supportive place to live,”
said Jane Silverman, executiveirector,
Community
Development Banking,
Chase.
We look forward to
providing much needed
services to one of New
York City’s most vulnerable
populations, and helping
them acclimate and
ultimately fl ourish in this
exciting, new community.
Daniel Reingold
President/CEO, RiverSpring Health
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