It was a perfect chilly fall morning when the Taft Older Adult Center Walking Group began assembling outside the entrance to Central Park at 110th and 5th Avenue. They chatted in Spanish as Aging Services Caseworker Maritza Martinez worked her cellphone. “I call them every time to remind them. Sometimes they say it’s too cold and I tell them ‘Put a sweater on and […]
“There’s toys! There’s toys!” a small girl called out. She dashed across the dining room at our partner, the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, to get a closer look. “Best. Day. Ever.” announced another child. The room was lined with tables containing backpacks, markers, crayons, post-it notes, calculators and other school supplies for all ages. […]
Jennifer Ochiagha is a little busy these days. Besides being a full-time grad student in mental health and counseling at NYU, she holds a full-time job at the Isaacs Center as a recruitment and admissions coordinator, plus she’s interning at a private practice called BeMore. “I do like to keep busy,” she laughs—then adds, more seriously: “There’s benefits at the […]
Jessica Leon was strolling back from a doctor’s appointment on the Upper East Side with her daughter when she saw a flyer for a job readiness program. It was 2005; Jessica was 17 and her daughter was two. She had no interest in the program, but it came with something she did want: a subway pass. […]
The Isaacs Center cut the ribbon on a new high-tech classroom in May, paving the way for community members to get training for good jobs in the technology sector. The new classroom is the result of a partnership with Per Scholas, a national organization that helps people from diverse backgrounds become qualified for high-growth careers […]
John Woodrow Cox describes the widespread impact of gun violence on children, and says change is still possible Watch our online Book Chat with John Woodrow Cox Ava was a first grader when her best friend Jacob was shot on their playground at school. “Ava adored Jacob. She envisioned marrying him when they got older,” […]
Writing for publication is a great way to share your ideas and influence your field—and it also strengthens your own work, according to two of our recently published senior leaders. “It was good for me as a teacher, as a clinician, as a supervisor, to write something that’s academic and peer-reviewed—because it’s hard!” said Aaron […]
Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain’s New York Business have honored Gregory J. Morris and Roderick Jones, executive directors of the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center and Goddard Riverside, as 2021 Whole Health Heroes. Morris and Jones were listed as a team in recognition of the strategic partnership between the two organizations. The award highlighted the work […]
On September 30, we shared music, champagne, a delicious meal prepared by our very own Soup’s Up team, and the long-awaited pleasure of one another’s company in our senior center “home.” Greg Morris, who has led us thoughtfully and with passion for the last 7+ years as executive director, toasted the Isaacs Center’s long history […]
Thanks to the individual donors and foundations who help fund our work, we were able to meet the increased need triggered by the pandemic and sustained by its economic effects. With your support, we continue: Addressing food insecurity Our Meals on Wheels program provides 7 nutritious, home-delivered meals to more than 2,000 seniors each week. Menus […]