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HISTORY New England Homes for the Deaf The story of New England Homes for the Deaf has historically been based on the fund raising efforts of generations of those devoted to ensuring the quality of life and communication needs for the Deaf and Deaf/Blind elderly. On March 7, 1901, the Rev. Dr. S. Stanley Searing met with a group of ten men to discuss the dire need to establish a home to care for Deaf and Deaf/Blind elders. Most of the men were ministers who worked with the Deaf and saw firsthand the isolation within which these elders spent their last few years. The Rev. Dr. Searing was a friend of the Rev. Thomas Gallaudet, the oldest son of the Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who helped establish the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. A legal corporation called New England Home for Deaf Mutes (NEHDM) was formed and the ten men set about raising the funds to provide housing for this special group of elders. In 1903, NEHDM rented a house in Allston, Massachusetts and hired a matron to look after the first two Deaf residents. By the summer of 1905 the home was filled to capacity with 11 residents and a waiting list of 6. The original ten gentlemen, along with a few more, continued their fund raising efforts and in October of 1905, NEHDM purchased a new and larger home in Everett, Massachusetts. A Board of Trustees was formed to oversee the operation of the new home. By 1920, the Everett home was also facing overcrowding with up to three residents per room. It became clear another fund raising campaign was needed to build or purchase a new facility to meet the increasing need for housing and care for the elderly Deaf. During the 1920s, the Board of Trustees was privileged to have two very famous members, Helen Keller and her teacher/interpreter Ann Sullivan. Helen herself was a world famous speaker and fundraiser. A capital campaign began on June 1, 1924 to secure a larger facility with enough land that would someday allow for additional growth. On June 1, 1925, “Riverbank” at 154 Water Street, Danvers, Massachusetts was purchased from John Fredrick Hussey and the name was changed to New England Home for the Deaf (NEHD). Helen and Ann were directly responsible for the purchase. After meeting Helen and Ann, Mr. Hussey was so impressed with the mission of providing housing and care for Deaf and Deaf/Blind elders that he sold Riverbank and three acres of land for less than half the normal selling price. He also donated an additional $5,000 to the building fund. Over the years, the Hussey family became true benefactors to the New England Home for the Deaf by providing additional land and funding to establish an endowment for the continued care of its residents. For over 50 years, the interest from this endowment kept New England Homes for the Deaf on strong financial footing. In 1926, the Salem Deaf Club, what was then called the Salem Society of Deaf Mutes, was honored for its longstanding support for the work of NEHD. The large stone barn attached to the home was converted to a meeting room and dedicated as “Salem Hall.” It quickly became home to the Deaf and Deaf/Blind community. Salem Hall hosted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of meetings, socials and events over the years. In 1927, the need for additional bedrooms brought about the construction of an addition to the home. Unfortunately the beautiful water tower was removed to make room for this addition. During the 1960’s, a group of community based Deaf members spent a great deal of time visiting and conducting social events for the residents. Headed by Claire Samson, they established the “Friends of the Home” in 1968. The “Friends of the Home” remains an active and important component of NEHD today, conducting socials, organizing birthday and holiday celebrations for the residents. They hold several fund raising events throughout the year to benefit the home. The “Friends of the Home” recently celebrated their “40th Birthday”. Ruth Collari has served as President for ten years. In the early 1970’s, the Board of Trustees qualified the home for Medicaid support. While it was a tremendous help, the payments were minimal and never did cover the entire cost of services. Even in the 1970s, folks did not live long with major illnesses. The cost of medicines and care was just a fraction of today’s modern medicine. Elders live longer today with a higher quality of life, but, the cost is many times over what was expected when New England Homes for the Deaf was first established. In the late 1970’s and the early 1980’s, the number of residents had declined to a point where the Trustees considered selling the home. Dr. Richard E. Thompson was recruited to assist the trustees with their considerations. He suggested that a Deaf Director be named. In 1981, Eddy Laird was hired. Eddy undertook a successful public relations campaign within the Deaf community, which resulted in a renewed interest in the mission of providing quality care to the elderly Deaf members of this community. Equal communication access became a priority between residents and staff. The Deaf Community returned to New England Home with the return of the annual picnic and other widely attended social events. With the passage of the Older Americans Act in the 1980’s, local Councils on Aging became very popular support for senior citizens. The Deaf seniors, however, found it impossible to benefit from such services due to the lack of communication access. In 1987, New England Homes for the Deaf established community-based services with help from several area Agencies on Aging. Five Deaf Senior Centers were established in regional locations throughout the eastern section of Massachusetts. A regular newsletter called “The Golden Times” was started focusing on Deaf Elderly news and articles on health and aging. These centers continue to operate one day each week in Boston, Danvers, Quincy, Worcester and Lawrence providing socialization and information/referral services. In 2007, the Bay State Deaf Seniors of Western Mass joined the network. In the early 1990’s, Judith Good replaced Eddy Laird as President/CEO. Judith had worked for several years with Eddy as the Assistant Director. Dr. Thompson became the first Deaf Chairman of the Board of Trustees. With a full capacity of residents and a waiting list, the two new leaders spearheaded a challenging development plan to meet the need for independent living. In 1997, The Thompson House was opened; it was the first independent living facility with specially designed visual and tactile safety and signaling systems for low income Deaf and Deaf/Blind elders in New England. While HUD financed the building costs, an additional $300,000 was raised to pay for the visual and tactile adaptations. The need for this type of housing was so great that the 24 unit building was fully occupied within months with a considerable waiting list. The name of the Corporation was changed to New England Homes for the Deaf, Inc. Shortly after the opening of the Thompson House in 1997, NEHD was honored in Washington, D.C. with the presentation of the National Organization on Disability Award by the National Organization on Disability, J.C. Penny and the American Association of Housing and Services for the Aged. Development plans did not stop with the construction or occupancy of the independent living facility. The Victorian Mansion was showing its age and the narrow hallways and lovely staircases were difficult for the aged occupants. At times, residents had to be transferred to local nursing homes because the home would not meet regulation for skilled nursing services. The Board of Trustees recognized this need and, once again, sought assistance from the community to raise the funds for a new building. Donors came forward to purchase rooms and needed equipment in honor/memory of their loved ones. In 2004, after many years of planning, the new 60 bed nursing/rest home was opened. The new facility has the latest technology providing complete communication access for all the staff and residents for their safety and comfort. Judith Good retired in 2006. On November 22, 2006 while 60 residents of the nursing/rest home and 25 residents of Thompson House, slept in their beds, an explosion blasted the neighborhood. As a nearby chemical plant went up in flames, our Deaf and Deaf/Blind residents were showered with glass from imploding windows and hit by falling ceiling tiles. Miraculously, not one resident was injured! However, the residents were forced out of the home they had come to love. Due to the tremendous outpouring of support from the community, residents were able to return after only two months. Over $400,000 was raised to help rebuild the campus with exception of the Mansion. The Mansion experienced serious damage and instead of repairing the building, it was decided that it would be sold. In 2008, the home received preliminary approval to renovate our rest home and add 24 additional beds. Today, New England Homes for the Deaf continues its mission of providing housing, residential and nursing care for the Deaf and Deaf/Blind elderly community. It is one of only two such facilities in the country and fully accessible to the visual and tactile needs of its residents. New programs and services to even better serve this community are being established. Generous donations from friends are always needed and very much appreciated. The cost of care for our Deaf and Deaf/Blind elders far exceeds reimbursements received through third party payments and public assistance. Without private donations, NEHD would not be able to provide the unique array of communication services so necessary to a high quality of life for our Deaf and Deaf/Blind residents. |
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154-160 Water Street • Danvers, MA 01923 • TTY 978-739-4010 • Voice 978-774-0445 • Fax 978-774-0271 • Email info@nehd.org |
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