Carter Burden Center for the Aging
www.burdencenter.org
The concept of the Burden Center for the Aging began in the early 1970s when City Councilman Carter Burden recognized that the frail and elderly in his district, Manhattan’s Upper East Side, had few resources to aid them when they became unable to completely care for themselves. In 1971, he addressed this need by creating a position for one social worker who worked solely with the seniors in his district. Now, with a $3.1 million budget and a staff of 40, the center serves thousands of people each year. The Burden Center supports the efforts of older people to remain in their homes living independently, safely and with dignity. The center provides a broad array of social services and programs to address the needs of elderly residents. The organization’s many services include meals delivered to the homebound, advocacy, financial management, elderly day care, social opportunities, and counseling. The Brick Church has a long history of association with Burden, both financial and through the involvement of our congregation.
Search and Care
www.searchandcare.org
The mission of Search and Care is to seek out older people in the community (East 86th to East 104th Streets, from Fifth Avenue to the East River) who need help in managing life’s daily activities or accessing essential services, and to provide them the support and companionship they require to live with security and dignity in the manner they choose.
This not-for-profit, non-sectarian social service agency has served more than 6,000 Yorkville and Carnegie Hill residents since 1972 through a collaboration of experienced social workers, volunteers, student interns (social work, nursing, occupational therapy) and retired financial professionals. They make home visits, help access benefits and entitlements, provide bill-paying assistance, escorts, shoppers and effective care plans geared to each individual.
For volunteer opportunities through Brick Church, click here.
Health Advocates for Older People
www.hafop.org/index.htm
HEALTH ADVOCATES for Older People, Inc. promotes safe and healthy aging through programs designed to facilitate independent living, physical well-being and greater social interaction.
Health Advocates for Older People, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) organization was founded in 1985 by a coalition of individuals and non-profit agencies to promote healthy aging. During its first five years it was involved in the establishment of clinics in the Bronx to provide preventive health care and promote wellness. In 1993 Health Advocates became aware of the increasing need for housing with supportive services for the growing aging population and developed Carnegie East House, a 104-unit non-profit assisted residence which was transitioned in 2007 to another non-profit organization. This allowed Health Advocates to return to its original focus on programs and services for a broader and more diverse, increasingly frail elderly population.
In April 2003 The Healthy Aging Program was developed to promote healthy aging through wellness programs and home safety assessments with start-up funding of $100,000 from the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation. Today the program is located in The Church of the Holy Trinity at 341 East 87th Street, where several of the programs take place, and currently serves more than 800 older adults living independently in the community. Most participants are residents of Yorkville, East and West Harlem, Upper East Side, West Side and Queens. All programs are free.
The Healthy Aging Program promotes maintenance of physical and mental health through exercise classes, wellness programs and home safety assessments, and by providing resources and practical support which help our neighborhood elderly to remain independent and in control of their aging process. Regular activities, all free, are offered six days a week, 52 weeks a year at sites around the city.
Promise Project
www.promise-project.org/promise2/?
For children living in poverty, undiagnosed and untreated learning disabilities are the underlying source of so many struggles. Left untreated, learning disabilities often lead to devastating outcomes, including debilitating low self-esteem, drug use, teenage pregnancy, crime and lifelong poverty.
Learning disabilities have nothing to do with how smart a child is – a learning disability is simply a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to process information in a traditional way. But without the proper assessment and supports – which are nearly impossible for poor families to access – learning and pursuing a life of opportunity becomes nearly impossible.
We know that when children receive effective support early enough, they can achieve success in school and beyond.
Most children with LD have the aptitude for a life of success, but it takes testing, advocacy, and educational services to unlock their potential – not readily available for families living in poverty.
PROMISE PROJECT has joined forces with Columbia University Medical Center in conjunction with New York – Presbyterian Hospital to create the most comprehensive program in New York City committed to providing an educational path for underprivileged children with LD: PROMISE at Columbia.