83-51
268th Street
Floral Park, NY 11004
(718) 347-2244
fax: (718) 347-0007
e-mail: norcwow@sfy.org
Naturally
Occurring Retirement Community With Out Walls
Life just got easier…In your own home, in the neighborhood
you love
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Corey Bearak
-or- Yvonne Gelbord (718) 347-2244
NORC WOW OPENS OFFICE TO HELP SENIORS STAY IN COMMUNITY
Ribbon Cutting, Thursday, October 14, 2004, 11 a.m.
Elected
Officials and community leaders cut the ribbon to officially open the NORC WOW
(Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Without Walls) community office,
Thursday, October 14, at 11:00 a.m., at 83-51 268th Street just off the north
side of Hillside Avenue, announced NORC WOW steering committee co-chairs Sue
Noreika and Corey Bearak.
Open House, Tuesday, October 19, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
A Community Open House to introduce the new NORC WOW office, staffed by Director
Yvonne Gelboard, CSW, Darlene Dindial, CSW, Janet Golan, RN and Dale Chaiken,
RN, takes place, Tuesday, October 19, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the NORC-WOW office,
83-51 268th Street in Floral Park. Refreshments will be served and all guests
will receive a token welcome gift. (Rain date is Thursday, October 21,
same time)
"Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, or NORCs, found in apartment
buildings and apartment complexes scattered throughout the metropolitan area,
resulted from a population that aged in place," stated Mrs. Norieka, who
serves on the Executive Board of Service Now for Adult Persons (SNAP), was chair
of Community Board 13, and whose career in the community's life includes roles
in local civic, PTA and youth groups.. "Most prefer to remain in the
community but some may face an inability to remain in their homes without some
additional help and services. The infusion of social and recreational
services in these communities became known as NORC supportive services."
"NORC
WOW represents the first attempt to address the aging in place phenomenon in a
community of single-family homes anywhere in the United States. NORC WOW
serves parts of Bellerose, Floral Park and New Hyde Park in eastern
Queens," advised Mr. Bearak, an attorney and consultant who chairs the
Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council and serves as Executive Vice President
of the borough-wide Queens Civic Congress. "Community based agencies,
the community and public officials created this partnership with plans to
provide such services as chore service, informational and referral assistance,
entitlements counseling, case assistance and management, public health nursing
and chronic care management, health screenings and health education, social and
recreational activities, and adult day programs." NORC WOW also
established an advocacy committee to address the transportation needs of the
community's seniors.
"Our
model seeks to help seniors who face tough challenges in maintaining their
independence, remain in their single-family homes and in the community,"
said Mrs. Gelbord, NORC WOW Project Director. It is funded to serve seniors
living between Union Turnpike/ 76th Avenue/ the Farm Museum and Hillside Avenue,
from the city line to the eastern bounds of Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.
NORC WOW,
operated by the Samuel Field YM-YWHA, receives financial support from the Fan
Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, UJA-Federation and the Stella and Charles
Guttman Foundation. The Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council worked
to galvanize support from the community and its elected officials, including
Members of Congress Gary L. Ackerman, Gregory Meeks, State Senator Frank Padavan,
Assembly Members Mark Weprin, Ann Margaret Carrozza and Barbara Clark, City
Council Member David Weprin, and City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. Local
civics, Houses of Worship, social service providers, including SNAP, North
Shore-LIJ Health Systems, the United Hospital Fund and many local businesses
that serve this unique community all support NORC WOW.
WHO:
NORC-WOW, community members, including seniors
WHAT:
NORC-WOW Community Open House
WHEN:
Tuesday, October 19, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. [rain date, Oct. 21]
WHERE
83-51 268th Street, off the north side of Hillside Avenue, in
Floral Park
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Corey Bearak
Monday, October 27, 2003
-or- Yvonne Gelbord (718) 225-6750 x238
SAFETY, DISASTER &
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR SENIORS
Forum in Glen Oaks, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.
The NORC WOW (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Without Walls) holds a community-wide forum for senior citizens addressing the issues of safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, Wednesday, November 5, 2003, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, at HSBC Bank 257-15 Union Turnpike in the Glen Oaks Shopping Center, announced NORC WOW steering committee co-chairs Sue Noreika and Corey Bearak. The event will provide seniors, their family members, and caretakers with critical information regarding the precautions they can take to keep themselves safe in times of natural disasters, extreme inclement weather, and emergency situations. Through presentations from the Police and Fire Departments, the American Red Cross and the Office of the Public Advocate, participants will gain the tools they need to create their own disaster plans of action. This FREE event also includes tips on safety for seniors, and important materials and information will be available for seniors to take home as resources. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Yvonne Gelbord, NORC WOW Project Director at (718) 225-6750 x 238.
"In addition to learning how to creating your own "disaster plan of action, our forum offer community members an opportunity to learn more about NORC WOW," stated Mrs. Noreika, who serves on the Executive Board of Service Now for Adult Persons (SNAP), was chair of Community Board 13, and whose career in the community's life includes roles in local civic, PTA and youth groups. "This forum provides further evidence that NORC WOW represents an important new addition to the community."
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, or NORCs, found in apartment buildings and apartment complexes scattered throughout the country, resulted from an a population that aged in place. Most prefer to remain in the community but some may face an inability to remain in their homes without some additional help and services. The infusion of social and recreational services in these communities became known as NORC supportive services.
"The first attempt to address the NORC phenomenon in a community of single-family homes anywhere in the United States, NORC WOW serves parts of Bellerose, Floral Park and New Hyde Park in eastern Queens," advised Mr. Bearak, an attorney and consultant who chairs the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council and serves as Executive Vice President of the borough-wide Queens Civic Congress. "Community based agencies, the community and public officials created this partnership with plans to provide such services as chore service, informational and referral assistance, entitlements counseling, case assistance and management, public health nursing and chronic care management, health screenings and health education, social and recreational activities, and adult day programs." NORC-WOW also established an advocacy committee to address the transportation needs of the community's seniors.
"Our model seeks to help seniors living on their own remain in their single-family homes and the community and face tough challenges in maintaining their independence," said Mrs. Gelbord, NORC WOW Project Director. It is funded to serve seniors living between Union Turnpike/ 76th Avenue/ the Farm Museum and Hillside Avenue, from the city line to the eastern bounds of Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.
NORC WOW, created by the UJA-Federation, through its agencies, the Samuel Field YM-YWHA and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), receives financial support from the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation. The community's elected officials, including Members of Congress Gregory Meeks and Gary Ackerman, State Senator Frank Padavan, Assembly Members Mark Weprin, Ann Margaret Carrozza and Barbara Clark, City Council Member David Weprin, and City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, support NORC WOW, as do the local civics, Houses of Worship, social service providers, including SNAP, North Shore-LIJ Health Systems, the United Hospital Fund and many local businesses that serve this unique community.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Corey Bearak
Friday, August 1, 2003
-or-
Y vonne Gelbord
(718)
225-6750 x238
Services
to Provide a Caring Community For Seniors
A brand new program in eastern
"We created the NORC-WOW in a community not built for seniors, but
where residents aged in place, to give seniors a program they help design to
help them with issues and problems they face everyday," added Corey Bearak,
an attorney and consultant who co-chairs the NORC WOW steering committee with former Community Board Chair
13 Sue Noreika. Both co-chairs agree
that NORC WOW represents an important new addition to the community.
“We expect the NORC WOW to help create a better quality of life for
seniors and their families living in the community,” said Mrs. Noreika, an
Executive Board Member of Service Now for Adult Persons (SNAP)
whose long career in the community's life also includes roles in local civic,
PTA and youth groups. Mr.
Bearak chairs the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council and serves as
Executive Vice President of the borough-wide Queens Civic Congress.
"This past winter, one of the worst in recent memory, senior
homeowners struggled with the difficult task of shoveling snow and clearing
ice," stated Rabbi Robert Kaplan, of the Jewish Community Relations Council
of Greater New York (JCRC), an agency of the UJA-Federation which created the
pilot program with the Samuel Field YM&YWHA.
"As the weather warmed,
senior homeowners faced the need to make home repairs, an often physical and
financial strain for the elderly. Others,
living in homes away from convenient public transportation, get challenged daily
with finding a way to get to their doctor or the grocery store."
“It is unfortunate when seniors can no longer live in the homes where
they have raised their children and played with their grandchildren,” said Steve
Goodman, Executive Director of the Samuel Field YM-YWHA.
“Through the innovative NORC WOW program, we can empower seniors
to remain in their homes. NORC
WOW supportive service programs seek to mobilize both community and professional
resources and provide invaluable full-range services for community seniors.”
"NORC WOW already commenced a needs-assessment survey of all 2500
seniors living in the area, to ensure the new program provides seniors living in
the new NORC area with the services they most need, added Linda Leest, Executive
Director of SNAP, the senior center and program funded by the City to service
the community's seniors, and a partner in this neighborhood-based initiative.
The community’s elected officials, including Members of Congress Gregory
Meeks and Gary Ackerman, State Senator Frank Padavan, Assembly Members Mark Weprin, Ann Margaret
Carrozza and Barbara Clark, City Council Member David Weprin, and City Public
Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, support NORC WOW, as do the local civics, Houses of
Worship, social service providers, including SNAP, North Shore-LIJ Health
Systems, the United Hospital Fund and many local businesses that serve this
unique community.
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, or NORCs, found in apartment
buildings and apartment complexes scattered throughout the country, resulted
from an a population that aged in place. Most
prefer to remain in the community but some may face an inability to remain in
their homes without some additional help and services.
The infusion of social and recreational services in these communities
became known as NORC supportive services. "NORC
WOW is the first national attempt to address the NORC phenomenon in a community
of single-family homes," stated Anita Altman of UJA-Federation.
“There’s no reason why this model can’t work in single-family home
communities,” said Yvonne Gelbord, the NORC WOW Project Director.
"Seniors in these communities also have common needs, which our
Without Walls NORC will provide them."
NORC WOW, created by the UJA-Federation, through its agencies, the Samuel
Field YM-YWHA and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), received
financial support from the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
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