Judy Zangwill, executive director for Sunnyside Community Services, and Shyvonne Noboa, division director for senior services at Sunnyside Community Services, spoke with City Limits reporter Roshan Abraham about the cut in the city’s budget for previously promised money for senior services. With seniors at high risk during the coronavirus crisis, Judy Zangwill says “It’s the worst time to cut services.” Read the full article online.
SCS News
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The Queens County Politics website explores how senior service providers like Sunnyside Community Services face government budget cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The author of this piece spoke to a number of people at Sunnyside Community Services, including Executive Director Judith Zangwill, Associate Director of Development Monica Guzman, and Director of Sunnyside Community Services Senior Center Kerly Serrano.
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We as a nation, community, organization, and individuals are deeply hurting and, once again, deeply enraged. Emotions are raw right now, and most of us are in pain. For some, that pain is very personal and frighteningly real. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Abrey are brutal reminders of the evil racism that exists. The racist incident in Central Park could have easily had just as deadly an outcome. Tragically, none of this is new. There have been countless atrocities perpetuated where people have screamed; enough is enough. But we are still failing the most vulnerable. In 2020, and with heavy hearts, we are still enraged. Enough is enough!
We are still in a pandemic that has particularly impacted black and Latino communities. There are so many things that need to be examined and addressed, so this nation can truly live up to its ideals.
Our vision and mission at Sunnyside Community Services envisions diverse, inclusive, and caring communities where all people thrive and reach their fullest potential; to enrich lives and strengthen communities through services and engagement of individuals at all ages, beginning with those most in need. Never has the mission of SCS been more urgent in ensuring the needs of dignity, respect, safety, opportunity, being valued, heard, and seen.
With many of us working and learning from home, it is even more difficult to vent and share our feelings. I am especially concerned about the young people we serve. While this is happening, we are also fighting against budget cuts to our programs that engage our community in meaningful ways. It is going to take all of us to be part of a movement to effect real change, address systemic inequalities, and acknowledge that Black Lives Matter.
Sunnyside Community Services stands ready to be part of the conversation and solution.
Judy Zangwill
Executive Director, Sunnyside Community Services
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The New York Times gives insight into the lives of home health aids in New York City, many of whom live in poverty or near it. When New York City public schools closed, Cindy Urena, a home health aide for Sunnyside Community Services, had to choose between seeing a client with severe epilepsy or leaving her 7-year-old daughter alone at home.
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The New York Times examines how steps to prevent the spread of Covid-19 increase teh risks of social isolation, particularly in seniors. Normally, programs for seniors aim to increase human contact, but during the pandemic, on-site programs have had to be cancelled. The Times spoke with our Executive Director Judy Zangwill, as well as with Sarah Arico, who regularly visits our senior center.
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Sunnyside Community Services and Sunnyside Post hosted a panel discussion on January 14 for members of the community to meet the candidates for the office of Queens Borough President: Costa Constantinides, Elizabeth Crowley, Anthony Miranda, James Quinn, Donovan Richards, and Jimmy Van Bramer. All candidates had the opportunity to address their positions on various topics of interest and reply to questions supplied by attendees. The event was live-streamed on the Sunnyside Community Services Facebook page. You can watch here.
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New York, NY— Sunnyside Community Services is pleased to announce it has received a $150,000 award from the NYC Complete Count Fund — a partnership between CUNY, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council. The NYC Complete Count Fund is a first-of-its-kind Census-related community organizing program that will support and resource community-based organizations to help NYC reach a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census. These funds will support Sunnyside Community Services’ outreach and engagement efforts to make sure that local western Queens residents are counted.
The Complete Count Fund was built with the understanding that local community-based organizations — which serve New Yorkers in the communities where they live and in the languages that they speak — are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information.
Sunnyside Community Services is proud to join this coordinated citywide effort to build awareness about the census, convey its importance, fight the spread of mis- and disinformation, and help bridge the digital divide that might prevent many New Yorkers from participating in next year’s first online census.
“Advocacy is an important part of Sunnyside Community Services’ efforts to protect our community, especially vulnerable populations, and help make sure that all voices are represented,” said Judy Zangwill, SCS executive director. “Having our community accurately counted will ensure we have adequate resources for members’ needs to be met. Thanks to this award, we will conduct census education with local residents, focusing on reaching immigrants, homebound seniors, and public housing residents. You will see our multilingual census outreach workers at local events, public plazas, and schools. Our Center in Sunnyside will lead computer workshops and host lab time for people who need a secure internet connection to complete their census forms, and we’ll have trained staff to help answer questions.”
A complete and accurate count is critical to the future of New York City. The census will determine how more than $650 billion in federal funds for public education, public housing, roads and bridges, and more, gets distributed annually throughout the country. It will also determine the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives (and thus, the Electoral College). Based on current estimates, an undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats.
In such a complex city, enriched by such linguistic and cultural diversity, New York City’s full participation in the first online census faces a unique set of challenges. As New Yorkers, we have embraced these challenges as an opportunity. Together, these citywide efforts will lay the groundwork for a civic engagement apparatus that will continue well beyond the 2020 census.
The Complete Count Fund will launch in early January with an all-day kick-off event and training.
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About Sunnyside Community Services
Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) is a community-based nonprofit centered on the belief that every person deserves meaningful support to achieve their aspirations – especially struggling families and individuals. SCS serves a diverse community of over 16,000 people of all ethnicities and income levels throughout Queens with programs that range from pre-K to college and career readiness, home care and home health aide training, Beacon and Cornerstone community centers for children and families, a vibrant senior center and full range of services for at-risk older adults including social adult day care for individuals with Alzheimer’s, and a city-wide program of supportive services for those who care for them. With programs designed to enrich lives and strengthen communities through services and engagement for individuals of all ages, beginning with those most in need, SCS has been lighting up lives with programs as diverse as the people they serve since 1974. For more information visit scsny.org or email info@scsny.org.
About NYC Census 2020
NYC Census 2020 was established as a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative by Mayor de Blasio to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The program is built on four pillars: (1) a community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund; (2) an in-house “Get Out the Count” field campaign; (3) an innovative, multi-lingual, tailored messaging and marketing; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City’s 350,000-strong workforce and the city’s major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based, cultural institutions, and higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation. -
Great Turnout for the Annual Sunnyside Post Mile
This popular, family-friendly event, co-organized by the Sunnyside Post, the Woodside Sunnyside Runners and Sunnyside Community Services, started at Lou Lodati Park on 43rd Street and finished on Skillman Avenue and 44th Street on October 5, 2019.
For more pictures, information about the race, and even more pictures, please click here.
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New York Life Foundation Awards $15,000 Grant to Sunnyside Community Services Cornerstone Program to Support Out-of-School-Time Programs to Help Middle School Students Transition to 9th Grade
Award is one of 26 Aim High Grants Nationally, Totaling $1.35M
The New York Life Foundation in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance today announced a $15,000 grant to the Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) Cornerstone program, one of 26 grants to be awarded to youth development organizations across the country to support middle school youth during the out-of-school time (OST) hours. Twenty-six OST programs won new grants, and 16 organizations received continuing grants first announced in 2018. These programs serve underserved youth in 18 states. The grants mark the third year of awards made under the Foundation’s Aim High education initiative, and this year’s grants bring the total awarded under the program to $3.45 million.
Aim High is part of the New York Life Foundation’s ongoing investment in OST programs to help 8th graders reach the 9th grade on time and prepared for high school level work. Afterschool, summer and expanded learning programs nationwide are selected for grants through a competitive application process managed in collaboration with the Afterschool Alliance.
“The support from the New York Life Foundation will have a profound impact on the children in our program. This grant will enable us to enhance STEM curriculum and provide professional development training to staff at the Cornerstone Community Center. The training will help staff develop innovative ways to incorporate STEM into OST activities,” said Judy Zangwill, Executive Director of Sunnyside Community Services. “We are grateful to receive this grant and look forward to putting the generous support to good use serving local youth and families.”
Sunnyside Community Services and our other 25 grantees do vital work in their communities. Middle school is a vulnerable time for students, and without these programs children and youth would be without a safe, productive and enriching place to go after school or during the summer,” said Marlyn Torres, senior program officer, New York Life Foundation. “The New York Life Foundation supports OST programs like Sunnyside Community Services Cornerstone program that help children develop social, emotional and academic skills, which are essential for the transition to high school. We value the Afterschool Alliance’s expertise and vast network of OST providers and youth development experts in helping us administer the Aim High program.”
The following eight organizations received grants of $100,000 payable over two years:
- Sitka Sound Science Center, Sitka, AK
- Girls Inc. of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Presidio YMCA, San Francisco, CA
- New American Pathways, Atlanta, GA
- My Place Teen Center, Westbrook, ME
- Cypress Hills Development Corporation, Brooklyn, NY
- Community College of Philadelphia Foundation, Philadelphia, PA
- Breakthrough Central Texas, Austin, TX
- The following eight organizations received grants of $50,000 payable over two years:
- LEAP (Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership), New Haven, CT
- Adult Friends for Youth, Honolulu, HI
- High Jump, Chicago, IL
- Brookside Community Development Corp., Indianapolis, IN
- ACES (Athletes Committed to Educating Students), Minneapolis, MN
- Montana Conservation Corps, Bozeman, MT
- Apex for Youth, New York, NY
- PAIR Houston (Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees), Houston, TX
The following ten organizations received one-year awards of $15,000 to support their programs, with a focus on providing professional development opportunities for OST staff.
- Heartland Human Care Services, Chicago, IL
- Developing K.I.D.S., Detroit, MI
- Boys & Girls Club of the Mississippi Delta, Yazoo City, MS
- Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands, Omaha, NE
- Hands in For Youth, West Milford, NJ
- South Bronx Overall Economic Dev. Corp. (SOBRO), Bronx, NY
- Boys & Girls Club of the Northtowns, Buffalo, NY
- Sunnyside Community Services, Sunnyside, NY
- Girls, Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern NJ, Philadelphia, PA
- Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, Brattleboro, VT
Research has shown that for underserved students, additional learning time in the form of high-quality afterschool, expanded day and summer programs leads to greater academic achievement, better school attendance and more engaged students. Further, a successful transition from 8th to 9th grade – middle school to high school in most cases – is particularly critical to student success.
“We’re delighted to partner with the New York Life Foundation in this effort,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “The Foundation continues to do terrific work in this area, supporting children at a vital time in their development. These grants change lives by supporting OST programs that keep kids safe, inspire learning, and give working parents peace of mind in the afternoon and during the summer.”
In 2017, the first year of the Aim High program, the New York Life Foundation awarded $750,000 to 18 recipients, with grant periods of one or two years. In 2018, the Foundation expanded the program, awarding $1.35 million to 26 additional organizations. This year’s $1.35 million in Aim High grants brings the total amount awarded to $3.45 million, given to 70 organizations, in all. Since 2013, the New York Life Foundation has invested more than $41 million in national middle school OST efforts.
About Sunnyside Community Services: Sunnyside Community Services has been “lighting up lives with programs as diverse as the people they serve” since 1974. SCS provides programs for the whole family, from free full-day pre-kindergarten classes and after-school and summer programs for elementary and middle-school children to college and career readiness programs, a vibrant center for active older adults, flexible home care options and a social adult day program for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. SCS also offers free Home Health Aide (HHA) training and employment opportunities, benefits assistance programs, and a city-wide service to support caregivers of loved ones with chronic illness and dementia. More than 16,000 people a year find the help they need at Sunnyside Community Services. Find out more at scsny.org or email info@scsny.org.
About the Afterschool Alliance: The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. More information is available at www.AfterschoolAlliance.org.
About the New York Life Foundation: Inspired by New York Life’s tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided nearly $280 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation supports programs that benefit young people, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and childhood bereavement. The Foundation also encourages and facilitates the community involvement of employees and agents of New York Life through its Volunteers for Good program and Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative. To learn more, please visit www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
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Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris announced that he secured $13,000 in this year’s budget for women’s health programming at Sunnyside Community Services on July 3 while attending the Sunnyside Community Services’ annual Fourth of July celebration. The funding is allocated for senior programs that promote healthy aging. “Sunnyside Community Services provides critical services for older adults in western Queens and I am proud to support their ongoing work,” said Senator Gianaris. “I am pleased to fund their efforts so our seniors can maintain a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.”
Sunnyside Community Services thanked Senator Gianaris. “Our range of programs for healthy living include many offerings that help our senior members to stay active and to embrace healthy lifestyle choices,” said Judy Zangwill, Sunnyside Community Services Executive Director. “We are so grateful to Senator Gianaris for helping to remove barriers to healthy aging by providing support for preventative programs, exercise classes, and recreational opportunities that help older adults in our community to live their best, independent lives.”