Older Americans Month 2020: Make Your Mark
felt so sad,” Galloza said. “But now
we have classes and activities on
Zoom. Seeing each other has made
a huge difference.”
Earlier this month, Galloza and
other Casa Boricua Senior Center
celebrated Cinco de Mayo virtually
by having a talent showcase,
where they sang and performed
traditional Mexican music.
“I’ve learned a lot of new
technology in the last two
months,” Iris said. “I had never
used Zoom before, but now I use
it all the time.”
To connect even more older
Older adults from Casa Boricua, a senior center in the Bronx,
New Yorkers with virtual programs
and services, the City is distributing
10,000 free tablets to older New York
City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
residents. Along with our partner, Older
Adults Technology Services (OATS),
we are providing a step-by-step tablet
manual guide, online courses on email
and internet searches, and a helpline
where tablet recipients can call for
technical support.
We New Yorkers, regardless of age, have
had to learn to adapt to this new digital
normal and connecting remotely. And
as they’ve done before, older Americans
are leading by example. By logging in
virtually, they are staying connected
with each other and helping provide the
emotional support and inclusion needed
to stay strong during this crisis.
Thank you, older New Yorkers, for
continuing to Make Your Mark on our
beloved City.
To learn more about virtual programs
being offered by DFTA, call Aging Connect
at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469).
NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
ON SALE
EXPIRES 6/12/2020
during a Cinco de Mayo celebration held on Zoom.
platforms like Zoom, which prior to
COVID-19, not many of us had used.
Some wondered whether older New
Yorkers could adapt and be able to use
remote, virtual programs. As usual, older
New Yorkers defied expectations. For Iris
Galloza, a member of Neighborhood
Shopp’s Casa Boricua Senior Center in
the Bronx, having to learn Zoom did
not stop her from keeping in touch with
fellow center members. She learned Zoom
and now attends virtual programs offered
by Casa Boricua a few times every week,
which has helped lift her spirits during
the pandemic.
“The people at Casa Boricua are my
family. The first couple of weeks of not
being able to go to the center were hard. I
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Each May, we celebrate Older
Americans Month. This year’s
theme of Make Your Mark encourages
older Americans to
make a difference and contribute
to their communities. Here in New
York City, older adults are helping
their communities by showing
incredible strength, resiliency,
and adaptability that is helping
fellow New Yorkers stay strong.
In the last two months, more
than 17,000 older New Yorkers
in our network have participated
in virtual programming, which is
helping older adults stay connected
with each other and providing the
necessary comradery, inclusion and
emotional support they need during
this crisis.
During the early stages of the
pandemic, the City Department for the
Aging (DFTA) began to transition its
in-person services to phone-based and
virtual services that could be accessed
safely at home. Currently, more than
half of DFTA’s network – about 170
senior centers and clubs – are providing
phone-based and virtual programs,
including fitness, cultural, and arts and
crafts classes to help older adults stay
active and engaged.
Many of these programs are being
offered through video conferencing
Schneps Media May 28, 2020 5