Roosevelt Island Volunteer Opportunities With Angelica Patients Assistance Program During the Holiday Season or Any Other Time Of The Year

Image of AMEX Volunteers creating a Garden at Coler-Goldwater from Angelica Patients Assistance Program

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity on Roosevelt Island during the Holiday Season or any other time of the year? If so, the Angelica Patients Assistance Program may be for you. I met several of Angelica's representatives last week and learned of the services they provide to the patients at Coler-Goldwater Hospital for which The New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association (NYSTRA) selected Angelica as their Organization of the Year for 2008.

More information is available at Angelica's web site:

Our mission is to enhance the lives of economically disadvantaged patients in need of long-term medical care and to support long-term medical care facilities. We are presently focused on improving the lives of residents at Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility (CGSHNF) on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

...Angelica is focused on improving the overall quality of life of patients/residents and empowering the patients/residents to have more input into their activities. Events have included an annual “Sweetheart Ball” and performing arts provided by local arts groups and high schools. Our Duet Bicycle Program allows the patients to enjoy a bicycle ride, steered and pedaled by a recreational therapist. The Hip Hop Program teaches patients how to compose lyrics and express themselves through music, providing a positive outlet and culminating in the production of a Hip Hop album.

Other programs include a Healthy Starts Cooking Program, Horticultural Therapy and funding for the Coler Art Studio. These activities and programs have led to improvement in cognition, social skills, mood, sense of self, physical functioning and opportunities for creative expression.

Last summer, a group of volunteers from American Express assisted in creating a garden for Coler-Goldwater patients. If you would like to volunteer your services, time or money to Angelica, they and the patients at Coler-Goldwater would be appreciative.