Watch Friends Of Coler Valentine's Day Walk n Wave Around Coler Rehab Nursing Facility To Show Love And Support For Residents - It's What We Need At This Time Says Coler Therapist
Roosevelt Island Friends Of Coler and their supporters organized a Valentine's Day Walk n Wave around the Coler Rehab Nursing Facility outside perimeter and gave out gift boxes to show support and love for the residents who have been under a lockdown since the beginning of the Covid Pandemic.
Friends Of Coler volunteer Julia Feguson declared to the Coler residents that:
... on Roosevelt Island we are here for you and thinking of you today and ongoing...and presented gift box donations to Coler representative Margaret Lopes who thanked Friends Of Coler saying:
... this will uplift the spirits of residents tremendously, that's what we need at this time...
After dropping off the Valentine's Day gifts, the Friends Of Coler began their Walk n Wave.
Friends Of Coler add:
Supporting Coler residents and staff is quite a long standing tradition on Roosevelt Island going back many decades. This long running tradition started by the local community groups ( our local religious congregations, Coler Auxiliary, Roosevelt Island Disabled Association), has grown during the past decade with Angelica Patient Assistance Program, the 2018 service day funded by iDig2Learn’s grant from CCNYC used for a day of courtyard renovation which brought Google service employees to the Island. The Roosevelt Island Branch of NYPL events and Cornell Tech have also supported various collaborations. Recently through the art, poetry, theater, film making, music making, and activism of Open Doors NYC, we have witnessed a kind of renaissance in our connections to Coler.
As the COVID-19 pandemic brought stress and hardship in different forms, the Friends of Coler network stepped up as is the tradition to show the residents of Coler that Roosevelt Islanders remain united in strength, kindness and camaraderie. During a year that has been very hard and dealt us all immeasurable loss, it has been an honor to get to know Coler residents and other neighbors on Roosevelt Island.
The Valentine's Day gathering to greet and give gifts followed by our “Walk n Wave” around the building was made possible by donations from many Roosevelt Islanders to the Covid-19 fund hosted by Angelica Patient Assistance Program as well as by donations in kind from many others. Special thanks to Coler Recreational Therapy Department and other staff at Coler, to Shelton Haynes at RIOC, to Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance, to Haki Compost Collective, to local elected officials who listen, and to so very many more RI neighbors and friends.
Although sad that many Coler residents of the C building received notice of a lockdown in their units on Saturday before the Walk due to staff testing positive, we know they felt our good cheer even if they were unable to be outside or at the corridor windows. We were heartened to see some residents’ families doing window visits with relatives in the lobby and just so glad to wave at friends.
Happy Valentines Day 2021 to all.
From Coler Recreational Therapist:
Thanks it turned out very nice. The residents were so very appreciative!!! They couldn't really hear you guys outside but they were waiting n watching. One of your resident friends said “Thank you so much!” It was very special...to hand deliver with love from you all...through us...Thanks again!
From Lynne Shinozaki with Coler Task Force:
I'm hoping people are feeling that we are thinking of them and that we care.
From Julia Ferguson with Friends of Coler:
So glad. In my mind as we walked we encircled all with friendship and love and the magic of both! We needed bagpipes or drums to be heard, but the tambourines loaned by Main Street Theatre were going strong. Thank you for all!From Trisha Duval with Angelica Patients Assistance Program:
Thank you, Friends of Coler, for organizing and spearheading the Valentines celebration! We have plans in the works to follow up with a meal for residents very soon!
From Dexter Ciprian with OPEN DOORS:
It’s so important to show our dear friends and neighbors experiencing the brunt of isolation that we see them, care for them and love them. Deep gratitude to the amazing folks of Friends of Coler for their kindness and generosity.
From Coler Resident:
THANK YOU ❤️for the wonderful Valentine's Day surprise!! Thank you for your thoughtfulness, your kindness, your generosity and all your hard work! You truly made our day and lifted our spirits! And we had so much fun! Above all, thank you for your friendship.
We look forward to the day that we can stand outside with you!
Danika Lam shares more photos from the Friends Of Coler Valentine's Day Walk n Wave.
If you would like to join Friends of Coler, send them an email.
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