Nursing Home Seniors and Staff Donate Time and Talents During Holiday Season

The Holiday Spirit is Alive and Well at Jewish Home Lifecare Sarah Neuman Center

A year-end celebration on Wednesday, December 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. will acknowledge the year-long efforts of the Sarah Neuman Center nursing home residents, staff and families, all of whom have worked on community service projects for our troops serving overseas, children in need at home and abroad, sick children at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, survivors of domestic violence, and the homeless who live not far from the 300-bed nursing home and rehabilitation center in Mamaroneck.

“Open Your Heart to Others and Your Heart Opens Too,” has been underway throughout 2010 and is a brainchild of Victoria Lee Struss, a member of the Therapeutic Recreation team and Lori Grossman, community coordinator on a 90-bed residential unit.

Shirley Jones, 83, moved into the nursing home six months ago and promptly volunteered to join the community service project. In six months, Ms. Jones lovingly crocheted eight warm and colorful blankets for newborns registered with the nationwide Linus Project. Ms. Jones said that although she’s a nursing home resident, she is now “back in the world.”

“I go to bed happy knowing that I’m contributing something that will bring joy to others,” she said. “And while I’m crocheting blankets, my neighbors are working on their projects to make something for someone else. It’s a fun time for all of us including the entire staff, housekeepers, certified nurse aides, nurses, dietary staff and pharmacy workers. We’re all in it together,” said the articulate and vivacious octogenarian.

Throughout the year, residents have been involved in a variety of projects designed to “give back” to the community where they spent their younger years. They have made sandwiches and collected socks and underwear for the homeless who receive assistance through Midnight Run, a van that travels to New York stocked with clothing and food for those in need.

In December, 20 nursing home seniors, aged 75 to 95, gathered in one of the home’s large dining rooms. Sitting in wheelchairs with their elbows on the table, they each had a colorfully decorated shoe box in front of them. Smiling and joking with each other, they gathered up toys, crayons, stuffed animals, gum, candy, toothpaste, socks and mittens and carefully placed them in each of the 20 shoeboxes. Their contribution was added to a total of 22,000 shoeboxes sent to children throughout the world through Samaritan’s Purse International Relief.

Locally, they have donated toiletries, lipsticks and feminine products to women at My Sister’s Place, an organization that aides victims of abuse and women in prison.

For Community Coordinator Lori Grossman, the resident participation in this community outreach has been inspirational.
“It is amazing to see the transformation in our residents when they become involved in this project. They spend time brainstorming ideas and talking to their friends and families about getting involved and donating. They even give up their bingo vouchers for others in need,” said Ms. Grossman. “We are certainly looking at an active, spirited and involved group of seniors.”

As a lasting memory of this team effort, the nursing home residents have made bookmarks for the staff that worked with them. The bookmarks will be presented to the staff as a surprise gift at the December 22 celebration

For Immediate Release 12/16/10
Contact: Harriet Rosenberg (914) 864 5651
Corporate Director Media Relations/Special Events

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