SCS News

SCS volunteer Afnan Faiza is NY1’s New Yorker of the Week.

Afnan is a high school student from Queens who created our Pen Pals program, which connects high schoolers with older adults in our Center for Active Older Adults. She delivers the letters between the pen pals and creates weekly writing prompts for the participants.

Watch the NY1 piece here. When prompted, click “Ask Later” to view the video immediately.

We honored five of our volunteers for their selfless service with a special event that will include dinner, music, and an award ceremony.

Volunteers honored at the Volunteer Recognition Celebration included: 

• Afnan Faiza – Afnan is a high school student who volunteers with SCS’ Center for Active Older Adults where she assists with special events, engages older adults in activities, and helps develop intergenerational programs, including helping to coordinate the Chess Club program between older adults and local high school students. Afnan lives in Sunnyside, Queens. Afnan was chosen as NY1’s New Yorker of the Week for the week of May 8, 2023. Watch the NY1 story here.
• Scott Krikawa – Scott has been volunteering with SCS since 2015. He helps escort participants with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments from the SCS bus to the program space. Scott lives in Woodside, Queens. 
• Michael Prager – Michael has volunteered with SCS for seven years, visiting a homebound older adult each week to provide friendship and help with his dog. Michael lives in Woodside, Queens.  
• Marvin Ramirez – Marvin helps with events at the Center for Active Older Adults, where he is known to Center members as the resident DJ. He is a strong champion for older adults and has visited City Hall to advocate for budget increases to senior services. Marvin lives in Sunnyside, Queens. Marvin was chosen as NY1’s New Yorker of the Week for the week of June 19, 2023. Watch the NY1 segment here.
• Susan Keren Sheim – Susan works closely with SCS’ Volunteer Services team performing a range of administrative work including database management, tracking hours for volunteers, and general paperwork. Susan lives in Sunnyside, Queens.

The Volunteer Recognition Celebration coincided with National Volunteer Week, which honors volunteers and their service to help better their communities. National Volunteer Week was celebrated by the White House and organizations around the country.

We offer a number of volunteer opportunities including tutoring, assisting with older adult programs, visiting homebound older adults, and administrative support. If you would like to volunteer with us, please contact us at 718-784-6173 or at volunteering@scsny.org.  

On March 7, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez held a meeting at SCS for community leaders in Queens. The event offered participants an opportunity to discuss priorities in Congress and the neighborhood.​

Photo above (left to right): State Senator Kristen Gonzalez; Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez; Council Member Julie Won; Chris Hanway, Executive Director of Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement; Judy Zangwill, Executive Director of Sunnyside Community Services

Members of our Center for Active Older Adults and SCS staff joined the 2023 St. Pat’s For All Parade that was held on March 5 along the Skillman Avenue parade route. The parade, Sunnyside and Woodside’s largest annual event, celebrates Irish culture and identity with an inclusive event that welcomes everyone. See photos from this year’s event below. Read more about the parade on Sunnyside Post.

In this issue of the News and Views newsletter, you can read about recent news regarding SCS. Stories in this issue include: a new SCS program space in Long Island City; new Saturday ESOL classes; the NYC Mayor, NY Governor, and NYCHA Chair visit Woodside Houses; the Sunnyside Post Mile race raised $27,000 for SCS; SCS’s Bertha Motta honored for her advocacy work; Halloween fun at our pre-K and our Center for Active Older Adults; and more.

Click here to read a pdf of the newsletter.

On Thanksgiving Day, staff, volunteers, and Board Members of SCS prepared, cooked, and served a traditional Thanksgiving meal for more than 150 older adults at our main building in Sunnyside, NY. The Thanksgiving celebration is an annual tradition at SCS and this year marked the return of the in-person event. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and safety concerns, meals were delivered for the previous two years. Participants enjoyed a number of activities before and after the meal, including singing, dancing, games, music, and a raffle with prizes. State Senator Michael Gianaris stopped by to visit with participants. The event was funded by NYC Aging and CityMeals.  

The Thanksgiving Day event is just one of many programs throughout the year that we offer free for adults aged 60 and older. To join SCS’ Center for Active Older Adults, contact info@scsny.org or 877-577-9337.  

After a two-year hiatus, the Sunnyside Post Mile was held on October 22, 2022. Runners and walkers were encouraged to dress in costume for the event, which included the main race, as well as 50-yard and 100-yard dashes for children. Council Member Julie Won and Deputy Borough President Ebony Young attended the event. 

The event was organized by the Queens Post, Sunnyside Post, and the Woodside Sunnyside Runners.

Thank you to all of our sponsors: 

Alera Group
Bank of America
Broadway Stages
Bianca Colasuonno
CM Cares – Church Mutual Insurance Company Foundation/Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
Phipps Neighborhoods
Aubergine Cafe
CrossFit Sunnyside – Sunnyside Strong
Jin Brothers Wine & Liquor
Sunnyside Shines
Bridge Printing, Inc.
Edward D Lynch Funeral Home
The Globe Tavern
I Am Thai Restaurant
LIC Building
More Air Mechanical
QBK Sports
Surrender Pictures
Sweet Avenue NYC Run Club
Triad Management
Welcome Home Real Estate
Council Member Julie Won
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards

On October 17, we unveiled our new community center in Long Island City. The 7,713-square-foot space houses our Home Health Aide Training Program and our Caregiver Support program. The site, located at 5241 Center Boulevard, will also be used to host community events, concerts, support groups, and meetings. 

The event included remarks by Judy Zangwill, Executive Director of Sunnyside Community Services; Jon McMillan, Senior Vice President and Director of Planning of TF Cornerstone; Hope Knight, President, CEO and Commissioner of Empire State Development; and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. Guests could then tour the new space and observe a Home Health Aide Training session in progress.

The new program space is located in a residential building developed by TF Cornerstone and designed by ODA New York with SLCE Architects as the architect of record.

“An undertaking as large as this one requires dedicated partners and we are lucky to have so many generous, community-minded individuals and institutions in our corner,” said Judy Zangwill, Executive Director of SCS. “The new center simply wouldn’t be possible without TF Cornerstone’s significant investment in the space. They built an amazing home for our Home Health Aide Training Program and caregiver program. We are thrilled with the final result and appreciative of all their hard work.” 

“Empire State Development, Governor Kathy Hochul, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, and Empire State Development Commissioner Hope Knight were instrumental allies in this project, providing crucial funding for the Home Health Aide Training space,” continued Zangwill. “As older adults continue to encompass a larger percentage of our city’s population, it is imperative that we train a workforce to meet their needs. Our Home Health Aide Training Program will do just that, preparing individuals to assist older adults in their homes and communities. We are thankful that Empire State Development recognized the urgency of this issue and generously funded this project.” 

 “To help us furnish the space and run our programs, a number of partners assisted with the effort, securing much needed funds so that the new center would be fully operational,” Zangwill said. “Assembly Member Catherine Nolan, New York City Council Member Julie Won, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., former New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, and the New York City agencies that provided financial assistance for this project all played important roles in the development of this new facility. We are so grateful for all of their support.” 

 

 

 

 

Read this QNS article about our new program space in Long Island City. The new space includes classrooms, a group meeting room, private counseling spaces, a lab practicum and equipment room, a pantry for kitchen training activities, offices and a dedicated reception area. It will house our Home Health Aide Training Program and our Caregiver Support services.