SCS News

WPIX News’ Mr. G shares the story of Sean Condron, and explores how and why he dedicates his time to bring the gift of music to people with dementia and Alzheimer’s at Sunnyside Community Services.  Supportive options for caregivers are also discussed.  Watch the story here.

This story from Univision 41 News demonstrates the impact of our continuum of senior services by sharing the story of Ines, one of our Care NYC members.  She retired early from her career as a teacher to care for her husband, a former journalist with Alzheimer’s.  The clip also features Shyvonne Noboa, Sunnyside Community Services Director of Senior Services.   Click to watch the story.  

SCS celebrated another year of lighting up lives at M.Wells Dinette at PS1 and honored 2016 Neighborhood Visionaries, Gertrude McDonald and Lily Gavin (in Memoriam).We would like to thank our honorees, all our guests, and our sponsors, Lamb Financial Grouop, Sanket Bulsara and Christine DeLorenzo, Sandata Technologies, Ned Steele’s Media Impact, and Triad Management, Inc. for a wonderful evening of fun and fundraising.  See more photographs here.

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness and National Caregivers Awareness Month.  SCS held a press conference to highlight CARE NYC, our comprehensive city-wide program of supportive services for family caregivers and their loved ones. Matthew Wallace, Chief of Staff for NYC Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, Judy Zangwill, SCS executive director, David Aglialoro, representing Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, family caregiver Blanca Cintron, and Robin Fenley, Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Health Care Connections, Department for the Aging were on hand to make remarks.  

CELEBRATE WITH SCS: Please click HERE to reserve your tickets or journal greeting for our 2016 Annual Celebration honoring Neighborhood Visionaries Gert McDonald and Lily Gavin (in memoriam) on November 10 at M. Wells Dinette at MOMA PS1.  Donations from individuals like you are critical to Sunnyside Community Services’ ability to serve children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. We rely on your support to provide services to the 14,000 residents we help each year.

Currently, there are roughly 3.2 million American women who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. These women are also mothers, sisters, wives, colleagues and community members who must deal with the stress of those responsibilities too.  With all of those responsibilities piling up, it’s no wonder caregivers report devastating tolls on their own physical and mental health. For instance, nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as “high” or “very high”; nearly 40 percent suffer from depression. One in five care contributors cut back on their own doctor visits because of their care responsibilities. And, among caregivers, 74 percent report they are “somewhat” to “very” concerned about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver.  Read the editorial here.

SUNNYSIDE — When the city once planned to cut the number of weekly garbage pickups in Queens but not in Manhattan, lifelong Sunnyside resident Gertrude McDonald had a suggestion for her fellow outer borough residents: take your trash to work with you. That’s just one of the stories about McDonald that friends and loved ones shared about the civic leader at her 100th birthday partyat Sunnyside Community Services on Monday, August 8, where she was feted for her years of public service fighting for the neighborhood.  Read the story at DNAInfo:  and see our facebook page for more photos of Gert and the celebration at Sunnyside Community Services.