While Community Caregivers focuses always on the needs of our clients and volunteers, we sometimes take a step back and recognize community members for their volunteerism and giving natures.
Every year at the annual gala in November, we honor a few “Neighbors” with awards that represent Community Caregivers’ spirit. I am proud to say that this year we are honoring two local neighbors: Troy Miller of CM Fox and Cindy Wadach who has retired as the director of the Guilderland Senior Services.
Troy Miller was born and raised in Altamont and now has a thriving real estate and development company, CM Fox. More than that though, Troy and his family and co-workers support numerous organizations like school athletics and other team sports, attend and coordinate fundraisers for local families and beyond, and do random acts of fun like buying everyone ice cream cones at Corner Ice Cream.
Troy also sponsors an annual Golf Classic that raises funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region. With this record of giving, it is no wonder Troy is receiving the Joseph Bosco Award for Community Service.
Cindy Wadach worked at Guilderland Senior Services for 12 years. She coordinated services for the elderly in her role as director, and made sure the senior residents of Guilderland were helped.
Cindy brought programs into Town Hall from other organizations, made referrals, and worked with multiple organizations to serve her seniors; this makes the Community Caregivers Public Service Award more than fitting for her. She now volunteers with Community Caregivers, the Guilderland Public Library, the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce, and more; she is unstoppable!
The gala is Nov.15 at the Colonie Golf and Country Club. For event information, call 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Kathy Burbank is the executive director of the Kathy Burbank Community Caregivers.
One of the more exciting events we’re holding to help commemorate Community Caregivers’ 20th anniversary is a drawing for a very special one-of-a-kind gold pendant that is made in the form of CC’s logo.
The pendant, which is 14K gold, was handmade by Cindy Crounse, a local jeweler, and comes complete with an 18-inch gold chain. Tickets for the drawing will be available by Aug. 1 and will be $10 each or three for $25. You may stop by the office to purchase tickets, or mail in a check and we will send you your stubs.
The drawing will be held at the end of the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors Day” reception. The reception will be at the Crossgates Mall food court on Friday, Sept. 26. The reception will begin at 1 p.m. and we will hold the drawing at 2 p.m.
We would like to encourage people to register as a volunteer for this day of helping, which is another part of the celebration of CC’s 20th year of serving the community.
All proceeds from the drawing will go to help support CC’s ongoing programs. If you’d like further information on the drawing or on being a volunteer, please call the office at 456-2898. Or check out the website at http://www.communitycaregivers.org.
We thank everyone in advance for helping CC make it to this amazing anniversary and for your ongoing support. So, who is going to go home with some very cool new jewelry?
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According to the Journal on Housing for the Elderly, some 70 percent of seniors spend the rest of their life in the place where they celebrated their 65th birthday.
Federal, state, and local governments have recognized for years that the senior population will be expanding and needing more services. More recently, they have realized the economic repercussions for our communities of both the cost of nursing homes and the decrease in the tax base when seniors leave their homes.
Community Caregivers was recently awarded two significant grants, as well as some smaller ones, to continue bringing non-medical caregiving services to seniors and disabled people trying to stay in their homes.
For the second year in a row, Community Caregivers has been awarded a New York State Department of Health grant for $100,000 to continue bringing non-medical caregiving services to residents of both Albany and the Altamont/Hilltowns areas.
This $100,000 grant is a continuation of the Department of Health grant that Caregivers was awarded last year for a project created to help older people in the community stay in their homes and avoid nursing-home admissions or readmissions.
Things as simple as help to the grocery store or doctors’ appointments and a reassurance phone call are often times what can keep a senior independent longer.
Additionally, The William Gundry Broughton Foundation awarded Community Caregivers a $10,000 grant to continue to expand and cover current services. The Broughton Foundation has awarded grants to Caregivers in the past, and also recognizes the needs of seniors in Albany.
Smaller grants were also received from local donors — The Swyer Foundation and Hannay Reels.
In Albany County, the population over age 65 is approximately 60,000, with over 18,000 seniors owning their own homes. There are 20,000 people with disabilities over age 60 in Albany County, according to the Capital District Regional Planning Council.
The Community Caregivers service area includes the towns of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Berne, Knox, and New Scotland, but has also increased to Voorheesville, and has seen demand from the city of Albany as well.
In 2013, Community Caregivers provided 4,114 client services to almost 400 clients, using the skills of the 230 volunteers. Services include friendly visits, transportation, help with chores, help with shopping, and more. Community Caregivers has been in existence for 20 years, and is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Editor’s note: Kathy Burbank is the executive director of Community Caregivers.
It’s time to Tee It Up for Community Caregivers. The group is hosting its 10th annual golf tournament on Monday, June 16, at Orchard Creek Golf Club in Altamont. This year is extra special because the organization is also celebrating its 20th anniversary — two decades of Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
The format for the tourney is a scramble with men’s, mixed, and women’s divisions. Professional Golfers’ Association professional Scott Brennan will once again be showing off his golfing skills in a game called “Beat the Pro.”
Other contests include longest drive and closest to the pin for both men and women. And Orange Motors, Northway Golf Center, and Price Chopper are sponsoring hole-in-one prizes.
There will be drawn prizes and a live auction. This year’s auction will feature a spot in a foursome at the Alumni and Friends Pro-Am Golf Tournament (July 21 at Normanside Country Club). Each foursome will be partnered with a Symetra tour pro.
Also in the live auction is a week at a beachside penthouse in Aruba and various gift certificates to some of the top private and public courses in the area. There will also be autographed collages or pictures of Arnold Palmer, Eli Manning, Rob Guidry, and Yankees legends. All photographs come with certificates of authenticity.
A big thank you to this year’s sponsors: Adirondack Environmental Services, Inc., State Employees’ Federal Credit Union, Blasch Precision Ceramics, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
There will be a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.; registration starts at 7:30 a.m. Cost per player is $140, which includes golf, cart, box lunch, cocktail hour, and a delicious chicken and rib dinner.
The golf outing is one of Community Caregivers’ two annual fund-raising events. All proceeds go directly to support our mission — to provide nonmedical volunteer services to individuals of all ages so they can remain in their homes and maintain their independence, dignity, and quality of life.
For additional information, call 456-2898 or check the website: www.communitycaregivers.org.
Editor’s note: Mary Neumann handles publicity for Community Caregivers.
This year marks a very special anniversary for Community Caregivers: 2014 is the 20th anniversary of the founding of an organization that took a simple idea, grew and spread, and yet, despite passing years, pressure, and changing times, never lost that simple focus.
This year, to celebrate neighbors helping neighbors for two decades, Community Caregivers will be having a number of events in which the public can take part, contribute to, or attend.
Thus far, we have raised around $10,000 from your kind donations, but we still have a way to go, so keep that up.
We are planning several events with further opportunities to donate, sponsor, or attend. Notably, we will be auctioning off a commemorative Caregiving Hands necklace made and donated by Refined Designs. That will take place in the late summer or fall at our gala.
We are also tentatively planning a Neighbors Helping Neighbors event for Sept. 11 with both $500 and $250 sponsorships available.
Don’t forget, the upcoming golf tournament has multiple opportunities to sponsor as well as play.
If you’d like more information on any of these opportunities, please call the office at 456-2898, or contact Kathy Burbank, executive director, at kathy@communitycaregivers.org.
At a time when our leaders can’t even agree to disagree and the economy continues to sputter along in a state of static equilibrium, neighbors helping neighbors means more and more each day. One person helping another improves both lives and that truly makes the world a better place for everyone.
If you want to become a volunteer, have a need for services, or just want to learn more about CC, call the office, attend a meeting, or check out our website at www.communitycaregivers.org. Thanks and we look forward to the next 20 years of neighbors helping neighbors.
The 13th Annual Community Caregivers Italian Night dinner was held on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Omni Senior Living Community on Carman Road in Guilderland. Community Caregivers sponsored the event in conjunction with members of the Guilderland High School Key Club.
Community Caregivers is a human services not-for-profit based in Guilderland. The organization serves communities in Albany County by matching local volunteers with nearby clients who have non-medical needs, such as transportation to appointments and help with shopping.
The theme of this year’s dinner was “We’re Wild About You,” with each table having a different exotic stuffed animal that was given to a lucky recipient at the end of the evening. The cake was also decorated to reflect the theme.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, students from Christine Monlea’s art classes at Pine Bush Elementary School made heart-themed decorated placemats for each setting.
The evening began with a welcome message from the executive director of Community Caregivers, Kathy Burbank, who talked about the type of services and programs offered by the organization. More than 50 residents at the Omni were on hand to enjoy the dinner, all of which was donated by several local restaurants.
Fifteen students from the Key Club helped set up, decorate the room, and serve the food. Several other adults from the Omni and the local community were also present to assist with the dinner. The evening festivities concluded with the awarding of a number of drawn prizes, which were also generously donated by local stores that supported the event.
The volunteers who participated this year included Sean, Conor, Suzanne, and Kevin Quinn; Greg and Nellie Goutos; and Joan Doohan.
Key Club students included Liam Kelley, Jake Valensi, Ania Alberski, Andrew Eldeiry, Katie and Angela Yang, and Kevin Reilly. Also, Jess Doubleday, Emily Loparo, Afsha Kasam, Danielle Macken, Zack McNally and Kristine Liotta from Key Club.
And a special thank-you to Omni resident Mary McGann, who acted as the site coordinator this year.
Community Caregivers is grateful to the area restaurants that generously supported the dinner, including The 99 Restaurant, TGI Fridays, the Italian-American Community Center, Panera Bread, Pellegrino Importing, Pizza Hut and Coccadott’s Cake Shop.
Also, thank you to the following local businesses that donated door prizes: Candy Kraft, The Book House, Carman Wine & Liquor, Robinson’s Hardware, Mike’s Diner, Bountiful Bread, The Pottery Place, The Altamont Enterprise, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, and Ryan’s Farmers Market. Also contributing were Walmart, Hannaford, and Price Chopper.
Community Caregivers would like to especially acknowledge the efforts of Sean and Conor Quinn, brothers who attend Guilderland High School and who are also members of Key Club. Over the past several years they have dedicated countless hours serving as the event coordinators, and are credited with soliciting area restaurants for the donated food, as well as the local businesses that provided door prizes.
They also led the efforts in having the Key Club be a part of the event. Together with their parents, Kevin and Suzanne Quinn, they work hard behind the scenes to ensure that this yearly event runs smoothly.
Editor’s note: Greg Goutos is a volunteer with Community Caregivers.
If you are a caregiver, keep the ice melt and shovel inside your loved one’s home. Along with shoveling the walkways, it’s always a good idea to have plenty of ice-melt on hand. If possible, try to make sure someone is putting enough ice-melt on the walkway in order to prevent any build-up.
Encourage your loved one to wear appropriate shoes. Having a special pair of boots or shoes with non-slip tracking can help decrease the likelihood of falls while out on snow and ice.
Make a plan with neighbors and relatives ahead of time: For light ice or snow, you may be able to handle spreading the ice melt, but work out a shoveling arrangement for larger storms; ask a relative, a neighbor, or a teen in the neighborhood.
Tips for outdoors
Other considerations:
— If you must walk on snow, it should be "crunchy";
— Walk slowly and pay attention;
— Try to avoid particularly hazardous areas;
— Avoid reaching or twisting when walking and standing;
— Keep one hand free for balance unless using a walker;
— Use a waist belt pack or backpack instead of carrying a purse;
— Avoid carrying heavy items;
— Use a portable grocery cart; and
— Install automatic or timed lighting outside.
Advice for indoors
Falls can occur inside of the home as well, but there are a few extra things to consider when it comes to keeping loved ones safe:
— Non-slip socks or slippers: Walking on cold floors can be uncomfortable. If you wear slippers or socks;
— Cleaning up wet spots: Tracking snow into the house can sometimes be a problem. To prevent this, try to make sure boots and any wet clothing can dry above a winter doormat; and
— Keeping clutter to a minimum: Clutter can build up in the winter months with all of the extra clothes and blankets. Prevent this by making sure everything is in its proper place.
Remember, falls are one of the most common problems our elderly loved ones have but they are also one of the most preventable.
Editor’s note; Kathy Burbank is the executive director of Community Caregivers.
In 1994, Joel Edwards, Mary Therriault, and Vic Ross sat down in a church basement in Altamont, and came up with a plan for volunteers to help their neighbors. Twenty years later, that plan is still in place and has since helped thousands of area residents.
Neighbors helping neighbors was the original idea and we’re proud to say that is still the guiding principle behind everything we do. Our volunteers and clients form the heart of this organization and this year we want to celebrate both.
To that end, several events and initiatives have been planned for 2014 that include enhanced versions of the Golf Outing and Gala, a special commemorative giveaway, an annual appeal, special Pay-It-Forward volunteer effort in the spring and summer, and a drawing involving many Guilderland and Bethlehem area restaurants.
The recognition will kick off this month with the annual appeal campaign, “Twenty Thousand for Twenty Years.” The goal is to reach $20,000 through donations from individuals and businesses.
The organization currently provides services that enable individuals of all ages to maintain their independence, dignity, and quality of life within their homes and communities. We offer non-medical assistance to local residents who might otherwise be hospitalized or institutionalized, and help home caregivers manage the physical, emotional, and financial toll that continuous caregiving can take.
Community Caregivers serves residents of mainly the Hilltowns, Bethlehem, Guilderland, Altamont, and Voorheesville area of Albany County, but, in 2012, we also started providing services in the city of Albany.
For more information, please contact me by e-mail at kathy@communitycaregivers.org or by phone at 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Kathy Burbank is the executive director of Community Caregivers.
As we move into the heart of the holiday season, it’s important to keep your wits about you and your stress level at a sane level. This is especially true if you are a caregiver.
When you normally deal with the holidays, you think about family, friends, and so on as you make plans, attend events, or travel. If you have the added responsibility of being a caregiver, things can get out of hand very fast.
Your best bet is to use common sense as you plan your days. For instance, if you work with someone a day or two a week and will be gone for a week or more during the holidays, you’ll need to let them know that and see what you can do to find a temporary replacement for the days you’ll be gone.
For those who are homebound, the holidays can be very stressful from an emotional standpoint so, as a caregiver, it’s important to take that into consideration. If the person in question is a family member, is there a way to include him or her in family events, dinners, parties, and so on? Is there a special gift that would really be appreciated (besides your time and presence)?
If the person you help is not a family member, can you help to get her together with her family in any way? If he has no family, what else could you do to make his holidays brighter?
Beyond these considerations, never forget that, even if you don’t volunteer with Community Caregivers to help others, most of us are still caregivers within our own families and the holidays can make that harder. Try to never lose sight of the big picture at this time of year.
Take things a day at a time and don’t try to do too much. Remember that spending time with family and friends is what the season is all about and the most important gift you can give is your time and love.
The parties, the dinners, the tree, the gifts and cookies, the decorations and shopping are all part of the season. Just don’t forget that those are not necessarily the most important parts. And above all, don’t forget at this busy time of year to take extra good care of yourself because there are people who need you.
From everyone at Community Caregivers, may you have a wonderful holiday season and please let us know if we can help you or if you have some time to help us. That’s what it’s always been about: Neighbors helping neighbors.
A report from the American Association of Retired Persons that just came out states that, in New York State alone, there are 7,000 New Yorkers on waiting lists for transportation and other non-medical services, and four million New Yorkers who provide “informal” services to family and neighbors (AARP.org).
Most urgently, the report also states that caregiving will be the number-one workplace issue in the near future as baby boomers age and the population of the elderly also increases due to people living longer. Caregivers providing non-medical services can often keep relatives out of nursing homes and other care facilities for years, just by helping with bills, shopping, errands, and transportation to appointments.
But many must work, or don’t live near their relatives, and count on organizations to help.
Community Caregivers, a not-for-profit organization, has provided these services in Albany County since 1994, and is preparing for the need to increase.
It already has. We have plenty of clients to serve, and have already expanded from serving just Altamont, the Hilltowns, Bethlehem, and Guilderland, to all of Albany County now. The problem is getting volunteers in the new areas of expansion; most want to stay in their local areas.
Throughout the last eight years, Community Caregivers has had 500 volunteers who provided over 28,000 direct services to over 800 clients. Community Caregivers’ model is to recruit and train volunteers, and match them up with clients who get services for free.
The organization survives on grants and community support, to pay for oversight of volunteers, an registered nurse who does an initial assessment of the client, and program staff to provide ongoing training both for volunteers and the community on caregiving.
AARP and other organizations are advocating for more federal and state resources for caregivers. Community Caregivers receives New York State Department of Health funds now, and hopes to be able to both get more funding to provide services and advocate for caregivers themselves to be able to be reimbursed for their services. This will be increasingly more important in the next few years.
Community Caregivers website, www.communitycaregivers.org, has information on volunteering, referring clients, and services provided.
Editor’s note: Kathy Burbank is the executive director of Community Caregivers.