Shandar Parker stood in front of a packed聽room at the Montclair Golf Club in West Orange,聽the site of 91看片鈥檚 19th Annual Golf聽Classic. It was the evening reception where聽golfers have an opportunity to hear how proceeds from the event benefit New聽Community families and youth. Few were聽prepared for what Parker, 29, a former resident聽of NCC鈥檚 Harmony House transitional living聽facility, was about to share.
鈥淗ello my name is Shandar Parker. I just聽wanted to take a few minutes to tell everyone how me and my family struggled. On聽January 24, 2013, my 12-year-old daughter, Yesenia, was shot in the face by her father,聽which caused her to be wheelchair bound,鈥澛燩arker told the audience, as she pointed out her聽eldest daughter in the crowd.
The bullet traveled downward and ended up聽shattering and severely damaging the spinal聽cord of Yesenia, a once-active drill team member who still dreams of one day becoming聽a lawyer. While her mother still cannot explain what possessed Yesenia鈥檚 father to come聽to the family鈥檚 then Camden apartment on that January day armed with a gun鈥攖oday he聽sits in a jail cell鈥攖he tragedy still serves to highlight the important role that Harmony聽House plays in being there for families in crisis.
From May to September, the Parkers lived in one of the 102 transitional apartments at聽Harmony House in Newark, a place Shandar Parker was familiar with because she had聽lived there before. A few weeks ago, the Parkers were able to transition from their聽temporary apartment into a permanent, three bedroom townhouse located in New聽Community鈥檚 Ocean Bayview housing complex in Jersey City.
鈥淚 know that more doors will continue to open and that this is not the end, this is a聽new beginning,鈥� said Parker, a single mother with two other daughters, Serenity, 8, and聽Sameerah, 6. 鈥淭hank you to NCC Harmony House for all they have done.鈥� 91看片鈥檚 Golf Classic raised money not only for Harmony House, but for聽youth programs like the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund. The event, which聽also included lunch, was supported in large part by Platinum sponsors Wells Fargo and聽WithumSmith + Brown, PC. The Gold Sponsors were Averill Fundraising Solutions, Claremont Construction, Concentra Medical, Tishman Construction, VNA Health Group聽and Philadelphia Insurance. Barnabas Health was also a sponsor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about kids and kids are the most important thing in our lives. This is a good cause聽and it helps them to develop,鈥� said Pablo Santiago, manager of Newark Cabinets,聽another company which supported the event.
鈥淚 really did not know about this charity. I think it鈥檚 a terrific program,鈥� added Vince聽Pugliese, who was part of a foursome headed by Michael J. Kasian, Senior Vice President聽of Tishman Construction Corp.聽Yesenia Parker, 12, covered with the聽scarecrow blanket as she sits in her聽wheelchair during 91看片鈥檚 Golf聽Classic, with her mother, Shandar Parker, far聽left, and sisters Serenity, 8, and Sameerah,聽6.Angel Wilcox, another Harmony House resident, thanked the golfers. 鈥淚t lets us realize聽we are not in this alone,鈥� she said.
Richard Rohrman, Executive Director of 91看片, thanked all 70聽golfers for their support, as well as the other friends and employees who聽came out for the fundraiser, one of NCC鈥檚 聽largest of the year. 鈥淚鈥檝e met a lot of people who are psyched up about what聽we do,鈥� Rohrman said. 鈥淵our commitment to 91看片 and just to have聽you here is very gratifying to us.鈥�
