Our History & Impact
Through the Decades

Life’s WORC has grown and evolved for nearly 50 years, passing many milestones and strengthening our mission along the way.

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1970s

In 1971 Life's WORC Founder, Vicki Schneps, organized volunteers to picket and fight for the rights of the more than 5,000 residents at Willowbrook State School.
Vicki's advocacy work was inspired by her daughter Lara, who was diagnosed with severe brain damage at an early age.

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1970s

In 1972, reporter Geraldo Rivera exposed the brutal living conditions inside Staten Island-based Willowbrook State School, which at the time was the largest institution in the country serving children with developmental disabilities. The story helped gain national media attention which ultimately lead to the closing of the school, which had fallen into disrepair following state funding cuts.

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1970s

WORC, as the organization was once known, went on to purchase the first group home in Little Neck, Queens. The first people to live in the home were young people who previously resided at Willowbrook.

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1980s

Continuing the Life's WORC mission, our organization opened group homes across Queens and Nassau County throughout the 1980s.

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1980s

The new homes included Rivera, William Rd., Schneps, Springfield A and Springfield B, and Nubile A and Nubile B.

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1980s

The new homes included Rivera, William Rd., Schneps, Springfield A and Springfield B, and Nubile A and Nubile B.

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1980s

The new homes included Rivera, William Rd., Schneps, Springfield A and Springfield B, and Nubile A and Nubile B.

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1980s

The new homes included Rivera, William Rd., Schneps, Springfield A and Springfield B, and Nubile A and Nubile B.

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1990s

In the 1990s our organization's first Day Habilitation Program, Life Links I, opened in Queens, NY. Day Habilitation is designed to provide enriching activities, socialization, and skill-building opportunities for teens and adults with intellectual disabilities with varying levels of support needs.
The 1990s were also a busy year for Life's WORC Residential Services opening homes across Queens and Nassau County and expanding into Suffolk County.

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