Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center Reaches Out To Reclusive Resident To Help Provide Needed Services, You Can Help Too - Senior Center Seeking Increase In RIOC Public Purpose Funds

During today's Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center General Meeting, Executive Director Lisa Fernandez recounted a story about helping a reclusive Roosevelt Island resident obtain needed services that the resident did not know were available.

The story begins with a Roosevelt Island resident telling Ms. Fernandez about a neighbor banging on her door and that something seems very wrong. The resident added that she had only seen her neighbor a couple of times in 10 years.

Ms Fernandez, a Senior Center Case Worker and Public Safety Officer went to the neighbor's apartment to see if any help was needed and wanted.

Listen to Ms Fernandez explain what happened next.



If you know of a Senior who may need some assistance, contact the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center (546 Main Street, 212-980-1888) and they may be able to help.

Also, discussed at the General Meeting was the RIRA Public Purpose Funds recommendation for the Senior Center of $3,250 which is significantly less than the recommendations for other Roosevelt Island non profit organizations. Ms Fernandez asked the Senior Center members to support efforts to obtain a larger Public Purpose Funds grant for additional Senior Programs.



Stay tuned for more on this issue.

Residents And Public Safety Officers Work Together To Help Roosevelt Island Woman Who Fainted At Subway Station

Frank Farance shares this message he sent to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Department

Image From RIOC

Director Jack McManus last night:

Tonight I was getting off the F train and up the first escalator when I heard something drop, and it looked like people were having difficulty getting off the escalator (a dangerous condition). A woman had collapsed and a man was picking her up. I asked if they needed help, and she fainted again. He held her from the side, and I was behind her in case she fell backward on the next sets of escalators. I told her Public Safety could pick her up and take her home (not really walkable in her condition). So we sat at the bench outside the subway, people made room for her, and Public Safety was there in minutes: first Officer Bonafacio, and then Sgt. Rivera. They called EMS, who arrived a couple minutes later, checked her condition, and then released her. Public Safety gave her a ride, and an escort home. She had messaged her roommates, and they would take care of her now.

Thanks to Officer Bonafacio and Sgt. Rivera, for their quick response - this was comforting to the woman. And thanks to the PSD staff that coordinated the EMS call and directed them to our location. Great coordination, great teamwork, and uniquely Roosevelt Island!

Good job.

Everybody Matters - If You Could See Inside Other People's Hearts What Would You See

A change of pace from the usual Roosevelt Island stuff.

According to Everybody Matters:

... The camera wanders and shows the inner lives of people around us as they do their daily tasks. Most of it is set in a hospital, where there is so much worry, sadness, some joy, bad news, good news, no news, anxiety, fear -- as in real life, but perhaps magnified.

We've all BEEN there - experienced at least one of these people's lives. Hence, the tears! It's so TRUE.

This short video is at once quiet, profound, powerful, true, simple -- and so supremely human. It was produced by the Cleveland Clinic, as an example of their regard for empathy.

It's a profound reminder: we ALL have our story. Others have theirs. We NEVER know. And to treat others with the benefit of the doubt, with courtesy, with compassion, with respect.

Everyone Matters...

Hat tip to Presurfer.

Simple Acts of Kindness

Several evenings ago I was rushing up the the Tramway steps at the Second Avenue station trying to catch the Tram before it left for the trip back to Roosevelt Island when I noticed a woman bouncing a stroller with a baby in it passing me going down the stairs. She was clearly having some difficulty but I kept rushing up the stairs to get the Tram before it left the station. I was tired and wanted to get home. I took a couple of more steps up the stairs still hearing the clacking sound of the stroller going down the stairs. Fearing that the woman would lose control of the stroller tossing the baby down the stairs I stopped, turned around and helped the women carry the stroller down the rest of the stairs. Not a big deal but a very small, simple act of kindness.

This incident reminded me of the TV commercial showing strangers helping other strangers that in turn inspires still others to do the same. Some may think the commercial lame or cynical. I thought it was great. You Tube video link of commercial is here.

Roosevelt Island 360 pays tribute to a man named Hank Carter of Wheelchair Charities who helps others and makes life much better for many of the residents of Coler-Goldwater hospital. 360 quotes from Congresswomen Maloney's web site:

Mr. Carter formed Wheelchair Charities, which raises money to give state-of-the-art wheelchairs, speech-rehab equipment, suction machines, imaging chairs, TVs, VCRs and many, many more life-enhancing medical devices to patients. He has given the lame mobility, the mute a voice, and the severely compromised the opportunity to engage in a fuller and richer life. To date, Mr. Carter and Wheelchair Charities have raised more funds than any charity for any public hospital

Perhaps those seeking to demolish Coler-Goldwater's south campus and replace it with more luxury condos should consider, at least for a moment, what will happen to the residents of the hospital.

New York's late Senator Robert F Kennedy once said:

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

It all begins with a simple act of kindness.
Audio recording of Senator Kennedy's speech is here.