JUNE 12
C RY D E R
P O I N T
Whitestone group looks
to expand senior outreach
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
The We Love Whitestone Civic Association is taking a
new approach to better connect with its elderly neighbors
notifying them of upcoming events in the community.
The association is composing a list of volunteers to
print and distribute its meeting notices and event fliers
to its neighbors, friends and others. They’re also encouraging
local businesses to print and post civic meeting
notices in their storefronts, according to Alfredo Centola,
president of We Love Whitestone.
The need to get the community involved stemmed
from a discussion one day at a local supermarket with
several women who have lived in the community for over
50 to 60 years, said Centola.
“They mentioned how they used to be involved but the
opportunity is no longer present for them,” said Centola.
“I said, ‘No, that’s not so, we are always looking for volunteers,’”
12 CRYDER POINT COURIER | JUNE 2019 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM
said Centola.
While issuing the women business cards, Centola said
he realized that they might not have a Facebook account
and rarely check their emails.
“So I asked, three out of four weren’t on Facebook and
two out of four had their grandkids check their emails
with them — granted this isn’t every senior in our community,
but there is a large enough segment … that’s
when it hit me!” said Centola. “How do we reach them?
How do we help them? How do we get them involved?”
The organization is welcoming suggestions on what else
can be done to get the rest of the community involved. All
Whitestone residents are encouraged to send a note to
the organization via email: WELOVEWHITESTONE@
GMAIL.COM / WELOVEWHITESTONE2@GMAIL.
COM.
Residents can also mail a note to the following address: We
Love Whitestone Civic Association PO BOX 29, Whitestone,
NY, 11357, or contact the organization on its website at
WELOVEWHITESTONE.COM.
The We Love Whitestone Association has been operating
in the community for five years with thousands of
members engaged in events and meetings, according to
Centola. So far, the group has organized the holiday lights
in the village, Halloween Trunk or Treat, movie night in
the park, a popular Family Fun Day event in conjunction
with the 109th Precinct in Francis Lewis Park, and several
other community events.
This month, the organization will be co-hosting a free
pet chip event, a drug addiction presentation with baseball
legend Darry Strawberry and a District Attorney
Meet the Candidates Night forum.
Photo via Getty Images
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