Build a senior center for 500 South Asian seniors

Since the last time you heard from us, we were moving as planned in all aspects, including the progress of our South Asian Community Home. 

Given the obvious change of situation with the pandemic, India Home adapted our services quickly to respond to COVID-19. 

COVID-19 had devastating effects on the specific population we serve. Despite our center at Wexford Terrace closing to allow for safe quaranting, India Home quickly responded to the needs of the South Asian senior community and has continued to serve an even higher number of clients than ever before. We have been guiding and ensuring our community gets accurate information and resources in-language. We have prioritized food security and implemented a culturally competent home-delivered meal and grocery program which serves meals to 110 seniors three days a week and has served groceries to over 600 seniors. In this program, India Home partners with culturally competent caterers and grocers, who deliver the meals to low-income seniors. Our dedication to reducing social isolation and promoting health & wellness has also continued, as we quickly transitioned to virtual senior programs, including informational lectures, yoga, meditation and creative aging. We have also continued to provide case management, telephone reassurance, counseling, ESL & citizenship classes, among other programs, through which we have reached 5,900+ service units virtually, despite quarantine measures. During this pandemic, we have provided 6,000+ home-delivered meals, home-delivered groceries to 600+ seniors across NYC, and made 9,370+ telephone reassurance calls to isolated seniors.

Our services are far-reaching and while we are unable to gather in-person at SACH, we are prioritizing our seniors' health and are hopeful the community center will be up and running in the near future. In the meantime, we are very close to closing on the Wexford property, and excited to see what the future holds for SACH! 

Links:

• Visit our website

The South Asian Community Home is abuzz with activities!

Last month, we hosted a teach-in in which our seniors were able to learn about the Census and why it is so important for our communities to be counted. Please do reach out to us if you would like to be involved.

We also recently hosted a low-impact dance workshop where students from NYU taught our seniors a dance routine, to encourage exercise as a part of healthy living for our seniors. They really had us on our feet!

Every Tuesday, our members enjoy working with an art instructor through the SUCASA program, in which they are learning mural painting.

On Fridays, we hold Creative Aging workshops where our seniors engage with a variety of art forms and create their own masterpieces.

Technology classes are held weekly in which navigating computers and phones are made more accessible to older adults.

We also hold drama classes in Bengali on Friday afternoons, in which a play focusing on health education is being put together.

ESL classes take place every week, in which our seniors are able to learn and practice the language in practical ways. 

We are lucky to be growing with all the activities we have going on and thank you for your help in getting us here!

We still are in need of funding to renovate and furnish the space. Our goal is to be able to offer full-fledged senior center programming after meeting these renovation needs. Your continued support would allow us to offer more and more to our growing senior community. 

Thank you for your support and consideration,

India Home Team

Links:

• Our Website