Sunnyside Community Center celebrations Diwali may be celebrated for only a few days in the year in India, but for our seniors the festivities have lasted all month long. The Festival was launched with a grand celebration at Sunnyside Community Center. Our member Usha Mehta, spearheaded the planning and execution with a little help from her friends. We had fun decorating the space with…
In this regular feature we interview our seniors for insights into the life they’ve lived. This month we talked to Mr. Benjamin Samson. Benjamin Samson, 72, likes to make people laugh. A Jewish member of India Home’s center at Queens Community House at Kew Gardens, Benjamin likes to tease people and crack jokes. He was born in Mumbai, India, and came to New…
“There is neither Hindu nor Mussulman (Muslim), but only man. So whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God’s path. God is neither Hindu nor Mussulman and the path which I follow is God’s.” Thus said Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. According to the calendar Sikhs follow, his birthday falls this year on November 25th…
National studies have shown that South Asians in America face difficulties in getting good healthcare. Many South Asians report that language is an issue; they cannot communicate well in English and therefore find it harder to make their health needs understood. Often large percentages of the South Asian population are uninsured. All these factors prevent certain South Asians from seeing…
A senior is struck or pushed around. Or locked in a room and denied food or water. He or she is forced to sign their bank accounts or property over to a family member or are unable to prevent large amounts being withdrawn from their account. Elders are afraid to report abusers Actions like the ones detailed above are considered…
DFTA visits the Sunnyside Community Center Sunnyside Community Center was all a-buzz this morning. Donna Corado, the Commissioner for NYC’s Department for the Aging and her staff had come to visit. Her purpose? She was there to listen to older adults, their caregivers, community partners, advocates and service providers in Queens give testimony on issues that impact New York City’s…
Breast Cancer Awareness Self Help Peer Group at Desi Senior Center India Home partnered with Sapna NYC, our sister organization, to start a breast cancer awareness group at the Desi Senior Center. We had a group of eight energetic women led by our senior, Saleha Begum. They met every Tuesday for eight weeks. Sapna NYC’s Community Health Worker, Laila…
“When we are all together I feel strong. Alone I cannot go even one block. But together with so many people I can go ten blocks also.” India Home interviewed* member Rabeya Khanom, 67, who came to America from Bangladesh in 2002 and has been a member of India Home’s Desi Senior Center since 2014. On her life in Bangladesh:…
Many of the seniors who attend India Home’s Desi Senior Center in Jamaica had never been to Manhattan. This is only natural, given their age and the fact that many of them are new immigrants to our fair city. But all that changed on August 31st. On that day, India Home took them on a day trip to Manhattan and showed them some…
It’s Fall! The leaves are turning orange, red and gold and there’s apples and pumpkins spilling out onto the sidewalks. To celebrate the beginning of Fall, India Home took a day trip to Amish Farm and House in Pennysylvania’s Lancaster country. The mood was festive as 52 seniors and staff set off early by bus for a drive through the vibrant…