March 16
Executive Board Meeting

April 14
Spring Brunch

Events Schedule

Meetings Schedul

ROBS PROJECT HOPE 2022
POSTED 1/23/23
By Letty Sustrin

     Hello to the members of our wonderful organization. Christmas, 2022, is now over, and because of the caring and kindness of our retirees, there are three very happy Brentwood Families. I had the pleasure of shopping online for 17 recipients, and I loved every minute of it. Each person was given a $75.00 Gift Card to Target in addition to oodles and oodles of presents. My partner in crime, Lois Morella (she LOVES to shop too) was a tremendous help. Being a make-up expert, she found the perfect cosmetics and bath and body things for the many items that were requested by the teenagers and moms in the families.
     Due to the Pandemic, we decided not to have a “Wrap Party”, so I had the joy of wrapping the presents and bagging them in big colorful Christmas Sacks. My Library Room looked like Santa;s workshop, and my little Scottie, Honeybelle, was in her glory. One family

has a dog named Lola, and Lola had some requests. I got her a big Doggie Christmas stocking that came filled with lots of goodies and toys. Of course, Honeybelle got the scent of this gift, but being so well behaved, she just lay next to it until it was wrapped.We both had a fun time. Then the agency, “Suburban Housing of Bay Shore” picked up all the presents and delivered them to the families.
Click on photo to enlarge 

Of course, I saved the best for the end of my finale. Our beloved, Phyllis Goodwin, once again drove to Brentwood and delivered a Supermarket Gift Card to each of the families so that they could purchase the foods they preferred for their Thanksgiving Feast. I am sure all three families were very happy after they had their wonderful meal.
     So now I have packed away all the extra gift boxes and wrapping, and I am looking forward to “Project Hope" 2023. Thanks to all of you for making this such a special event every year. YOU ARE THE BEST! Happy New Year to all.

Thank You notes from the families.

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Why did we do it?
     What was our purpose in taking on such an open ended “History Project”; for which we evolved a script of questions and got answers from over 150 subjects for two decades?
     We couldn’t answer the question in 1994 when people would ask “What are you going to do with the interviews?” All we could say was that for educational purposes we had to document our record now or lose the chance to preserve so many poignant accounts, funny stories and touching tales told by exemplary educators. We knew these dedicated public servants might shortly, for reasons yet unknown, be leaving Brentwood for good.
     So, we decided to let time sort out the details. We began scheduling appointments. We asked questions and listened saving for generations the essence of what it meant to have been an educator or employed, in this large public school system during the second half of the 20th century. Brentwood remains an exemplar to all others; a diverse microcosm of America reflecting 124 districts on Long Island while simultaneously resembling thousands across the U.S. We’ve accomplished something here to be proud of. Whether we were interviewed or not, ours is a claim of service that few professionals in the State of New York or elsewhere have positioned themselves to share in the way we have.
     INITIALLY the practice of sitting with a subject for an hour and giving them a hundred percent focused attention seemed somewhat daunting to a number of friends and colleagues. So much so in fact that many declined our repeated invitations to speak with us as they left careers or retired from full employment. Despite all assurances that we were not about investigative journalism or invading privacy, they deferred. Now, twenty years after we began, some are saying they may be ready. “Better late than never” we say. However, to all among you who were willing to share not only your classroom experiences and personal stories, but precious memories from your lives along with your fondest hopes for the future, we say “Thanks”. Thanks for allowing us to continue the process by paying it forward as we share these interviews with the Brentwood community and countless professionals and researchers near and far. Through an acceptance of ROBS offer of collaboration with Archivist Dr. Geri Solomon and The Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University our History Project lives on in academia as well as in the collection of the Brentwood Public Library, thanks to Director, Thomas A. Tarantowicz.
   You can enjoy unlimited visits to www.robsny.org where you can watch and listen to segments from featured Interviews in the ROBS History Project Section on our Announcements Page each month. Return here to listen and learn again and again.

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