New Initiative Announced to Support Scarsdale Seniors

Join Scarsdale adults over age 60 and their families on November 7th, 2010 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club at 37 Drake Road, Scarsdale to celebrate the opening of the newly created, At Home in Scarsdale Village. Meet At Home Project Coordinator Susan Gilbert, SFCS Executive Director Geraldine Greene, At Home founding committee members, and learn about the varied programs At Home in Scarsdale Village offers members.

Connecting Scarsdale adults with each other, the community, and key support services is the goal of At Home in Scarsdale Village, made possible by the Rita Aranow Service for Seniors at Scarsdale and Edgemont Family Counseling Services. Newly appointed project coordinator Susan Gilbert, directs this dynamic initiative which models itself after similar organizations in Westchester, Connecticut, Massachusetts and across the nation. At Home offers members not only social, educational, and cultural opportunities to get together and socialize, but also provides a valuable network of services and referrals.

Ms. Gilbert has been working with active adults for the past five years in various community settings. A former public relations specialist, Ms. Gilbert recently received her Masters in Social Work from Fordham University with a concentration in gerontology. Excited to get started, Ms. Gilbert has already begun working closely with the At Home founding committee and community organizations to begin setting a calendar of events and listing available services. “Scarsdale residents want to continue celebrating life-cycle events and host families and friends in their own homes. Membership benefits include social events, assistance with locating resources through a proven provider list, the support of volunteer visits, escorts to medical visits, and help with technical skills such as computer and other electronic information needs. We plan to purchase a van that can transport between 12-15 adults. Some of our members may want to take a yoga class together or go to a play on Broadway, while others will be happy to have a teen volunteer visit on their birthday, read to them or perhaps change a light bulb that they can’t reach. We aim to meet the requests of all of our members.”

“The At Home program has been in the planning for well over a year,” explains Geraldine Greene, SFCS Executive Director. “When we received a generous grant from the family of Rita Aranow, the agency and a Scarsdale planning group decided to partner and form At Home in Scarsdale Village. With the SFCS appointment of Susan Gilbert, we have a designated professional who will work with the volunteers and recruit membership.”

The original volunteer group’s first meeting was organized by the late Judy Handelman in 2007 at the home of Lynne Clark. Deborah Porder, Founders’ Committee Member and Chair, says, “Our original idea was to offer social events, trips to performances, referrals to vetted home repair contractors and volunteer assistance. SFCS and the At Home group agreed to partnership when the Agency received a grant to develop an initiative to connect older adults with community support. It was a natural fit. SFCS has a long history of service to families and older adults, as well as collaborative partnerships.”

Like similar organizations, such as At Home on the Sound in Larchmont, Mamaroneck, the Gramatan Village in Bronxville, the Scarsdale group will be recruiting not only members, but also interested volunteers. For adults, this can be a meaningful and satisfying way of supporting their neighbors; for teenagers and students, this is a great opportunity to explore working in service to your community and meet school-based community-service requirements.

For further information or to join or volunteer, please contact Susan Gilbert at (914) 723-4529, or via email at: sgilbert@sfcsinc.org.

Pictured Above: Geraldine Greene, Executive Director of Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service and Lynne P. Clarke, founding member of the neighborhood organization.