Latest news with #NewYorkStateOfficefortheAging
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NY Honors for senior volunteers from Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler Counties
The New York State Office for the Aging is recognizing senior volunteers around New York on May 28, which is 'Older Workers Day' in the state. Among those are Nancy Doutt, and Mary Jamison from Steuben County, Dale Bryant, and Catherine Westlake from Chemung County, and Nancy Dawson and Augustus Haeffner from Schuyler County. Why are more older Americans staying in the workforce? Here is the way the Office for the Aging describes each honoree in a document it distributed on Wednesday, May 28, 2025: Dale Bryant, Chemung County: Dale Bryant dedicated 27 years to volunteering for numerous local organizations, significantly enhancing Chemung County. It is estimated that his volunteer efforts have impacted hundreds of thousands of lives, preserving Chemung County's history and culture for future has been a vital member of the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery, aiding in facility updates and signage, and is an original member of the Popcorn Preservation Society, maintaining the historic truck at Wisner president and founding board member of the Chemung County Farmers Museum, he has helped preserve local history, organized events, and donated family heirlooms. He also contributed to the Twin Tiers Vintage Chevrolet Club and played an instrumental role in restoring and maintaining attractions at Eldridge Park, such as the Jasper boat and Kiddie Land was a lifelong resident of Elmira, New York, who raised three children with his wife of 56 years. He retired in 1998 after 34 years in the Elmira City School advises New Yorkers to get involved in their communities, emphasizing the importance of preserving local history and traditions. He says: 'Volunteering enriches both the individual and the community, fostering connections and creating lasting, meaningful change.' He encouraged everyone to find a cause they're passionate about and contribute. Mr. Bryant recently passed away, but his spirit of volunteerism lives on. Catherine Westlake, Chemung County Cathy Westlake's dedication to the community is remarkable, particularly her work with Meals on Wheels (MOW). Volunteering twice a week, she helps prepare, package, and deliver meals to vulnerable older adults in Chemung County, providing essential nutrition to help them remain in their homes. Her efforts at times contribute to nearly 700 meals a week, totaling 36,400 meals annually. She volunteers ten hours per week, or 520 hours a year, and saves MOW over $8,600 annually in payroll costs. With her husband, David, also volunteering alongside her, their combined volunteer economic impact saves MOW over $15,000 addition to her own volunteer work, Westlake has been instrumental in recruiting four other family members to volunteer regularly. She always has a smile and kind words for everyone she encounters, is willing to do any task asked of her, and volunteers for all of MOW's special fundraising events. Her compassion, knowledge, kindness, and dedication make her an invaluable asset to the grew up in Elmira, New York, where she currently lives. She graduated from Elmira Free Academy in 1977. She earned a bachelor's degree in speech and language pathology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and spent 35 years as a speech and language therapist and special-education teacher before retiring in 2015. After retirement, she continued her passion for education by working as a special-education teacher for preschoolers. More older Americans not confident Social Security will be there for them: Survey Nancy Doutt has dedicated over 40 years to community service. She has volunteered with Corning Meals on Wheels, starting with meal deliveries before serving as treasurer and board member, and she still delivers every other was among the first trained hospice volunteers with CareFirst and now assistsin the organization's administrative office. At the Rockwell Museum, she established a library on the history of the American West and Native Americans. There, she continues supporting programs and greeting visitors. Doutt also remains active with Christ Episcopal a key role at the Southeast Steuben County Library, Doutt has contributed to local history and genealogy projects while also co-chairing book sales, which raise over $40,000 believes that volunteering is about passion and growth. 'Find what sparks your interest,' she says. 'Volunteering isn't just about giving—it's about learning, adapting, and leaving something better than you found it.' Mary Jamison has worked with the hospice and palliative care unit at the Bath VA Medical Center, offering support to veterans and their families. 'It was heartbreaking at times,' she admits, 'but I knew I was making a difference. I have such respect for the nurses there.'When the pandemic halted VA volunteer work, Jamison turned to the Office for the Aging (OFA), becoming an invaluable team member. With vaccine appointments primarily administered online, many older adults struggled to schedule them. She joined a group of volunteers who called individuals, gathered their information, and registered them on the New York State Department of Health portal, ensuring they secured appointments. Her work removed a critical barrier to vaccination for older joining the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) as an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in 2007, Jamison has contributed over 3,500 lifetime service hours. She is OFA's 'go-to' volunteer, assisting with reception, Medicare enrollment, and client satisfaction surveys. Her outreach efforts have significantly increased survey response rates, helping OFA improve services for older says, 'Volunteering is my way of giving back. It gives me pride and a sense of accomplishment. The Office for the Aging is a blessing, and I'm proud to be part of their team.' A nurse by training, Nancy Dawson donates her time and talents as an instructor for a program, 'Dare to Discipline,' where she teaches childbirth and parenting classes at a local hospital. She has also taught CPR classes for the American Heart Association and has been a moderator and facilitator for a local Lyme disease support group. She is also a volunteer insurance counselor for the Office for the Aging and is an accomplished volunteer tax preparer with was born and raised in Beaver Dams, New York where she continues to reside with her husband. In addition to raising her own family, Dawson and her husband were foster parents for several area youth. She pursued a career in nursing, focusing on women's health and intensive care nursing. Dawson and her husband also own and operate Twin Maples Farms, where they once raised Christmas trees but now focus on producing and selling maple syrup and maple she has worked in many areas and 'worn many different hats,' Dawson's favorite job has been volunteering. 'I feel it is the highest-paying and most rewarding profession of any,' she says. 'People are very appreciative for the help received.' In the early 2000s, Augustus C. Haeffner created an online news site that fills a vital role, keeping his community informed and connected. Haeffner is a reporter, editor and publisher of The Odessa File: News of Schuyler County, an important voice for news about businesses, sports, government, schools, public service, and, most importantly, people in the community. He currently lives in Odessa, New York, operating the news site from his home, often with help from his son, was raised north of Detroit, Michigan. Early in his career, he was the sports editor of the Elmira Star Gazette in the 1980s and later assistant managing editor at The Leader in Corning. While at The Leader, Haeffner won the 1997 Associated Press award for the best columns among small-town newspapers in New York. He also ran a sports card shop in Odessa and traveled selling sports cards and believes that volunteering is the 'lifeblood' of any community, filling gaps where needed. In his words, 'if you can volunteer, go out and do it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Called it a godsend': Senior care device turns your TV into an AI powered caregiver
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Alleviating loneliness among the senior community — that's what ONSCREEN, a senior care device that turns your TV into an AI-powered caregiver, aims to do. The company is partnering with the New York State Office for the Aging and the Association on Aging in New York to give out free devices to qualified applicants. 'We're a very rural area, we're upstate NY, a couple of miles from the Canadian border, the winter is very long, especially this one,' said Susan Schrader the program director at the Community Health Center of the North Country, 'we're finding seniors that are incredibly lonely, and have no way to get out of their house.' Schrader's been working with seniors for 25 years and says ONSCREEN devices have been a huge help for giving the folks she helps stay connected with family —and keeping them healthy with medication reminders. 'We've had one person that kept forgetting his medications and after he had it a couple of weeks, he came back into the health center and actually called it a godsend,' she said But the main attraction with the device is Joy — an AI companion for older adults. Schrader says that users already love her company. She says they installed a few devices in mid-March and already one user has accessed Joy 79 times. ONSCREEN Founder and CEO Costin Tuculescu lives the user experience – his mother uses the device. 'Joy checks in with her every single day, talking about the garden. Joy knows about the garden way more than I do, and she even gives my mom advice.' The company launched during COVID to help older adults stay connected. 'A lot of our customers were really family caregivers buying the product for their elderly parents in their late 70s early 80s,so that they can easily see each other,' said Tuculescu. With the company's partnership with the NYSOFA and the Association on Aging in New York to give out free devices, Tuculescu hopes this leads to more pilots, and therefore more evidence that keeping people connected will keep them healthier. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
