There are over 900,000 adults over the age of 65 living in New York City.
Almost half of seniors live with either a mental or physical disability and many are also living below the poverty line. The New York City Department of the Aging states that on a daily basis over 44,000 seniors either eat a free meal at a public center or receive meals delivered to their homes.
Every year New York Cares volunteers provide thousands of hours of service to improve the life of the elderly, whether they are living at home, an independent senior living building, or in a nursing home. They play bingo, serve lunches, host social hours, watch movies, dance, sing, help create art, bake and read. This past year seniors moved into the electronic age with an "Exploring the Internet" project at Cabrini Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation in the East Village. Also new this year, volunteers helped seniors enroll and better understand the new federal Medicare program to help them save money on prescription drugs.
Esperanza Jorge, one of our partners at Jewish Home and Hospital, recently described how important these projects are to seniors, "Roseland Dance is one of the most popular and favorite programs run by our Community Partners... They love the music, the ambiance and the warm reception they receive from the committed and caring volunteers. This program also draws a great audience and other Community Partners often come to join the New York Cares volunteers. They share the joy of our elders' display and use this experience to learn how to connect with this special population. This program is one of the most popular volunteer projects for our staff and our family members."
This January will see additional new projects including: a new lunch club at Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center on the Upper East Side; a new knitting program called "Granny Squared" where seniors teach other seniors and New York Cares volunteers how to knit and crochet; and a Read Aloud and Game Night at Kateri Residence on the Upper West Side. A Life Stories project is also in the works for spring, where volunteers help create lasting records of a seniors' life stories, providing a priceless resource for their families and generations to come.
To learn how you can make a difference through New York Cares' Seniors Programs, please contact Susan Craine at 212-402-1115 or Susan_Craine@nycares.org.
Every year New York Cares volunteers provide thousands of hours of service to improve the life of the elderly, whether they are living at home, an independent senior living building, or in a nursing home. They play bingo, serve lunches, host social hours, watch movies, dance, sing, help create art, bake and read. This past year seniors moved into the electronic age with an "Exploring the Internet" project at Cabrini Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation in the East Village. Also new this year, volunteers helped seniors enroll and better understand the new federal Medicare program to help them save money on prescription drugs.
This January will see additional new projects including: a new lunch club at Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center on the Upper East Side; a new knitting program called "Granny Squared" where seniors teach other seniors and New York Cares volunteers how to knit and crochet; and a Read Aloud and Game Night at Kateri Residence on the Upper West Side. A Life Stories project is also in the works for spring, where volunteers help create lasting records of a seniors' life stories, providing a priceless resource for their families and generations to come.
