Friends of CenterLight
Foundation

Click here for information on our Fall Fest 2023.

The Friends of CenterLight Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to improving the lives of CenterLight participants by helping them to maintain their health, well-being and autonomy in environments that honor their individual needs, values and preferences.

The Friends of CenterLight Foundation supports programs in the following areas:

CHARITABLE

Advancing services and supports that enhance the quality of care to CenterLight participants.

SCIENTIFIC

Creating innovative, complementary and alternative therapeutic programs to help transform the care provided to older adults in programs offered by CenterLight Teamcare. More information to come.

EDUCATION

Delivering and sponsoring programs to educate CenterLight participants, caregivers, staff, and other stakeholders about aging with vibrancy, passion and purpose.

how you can get involved

Your Generosity in Action

Meet the Foundation Team

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Join us in our mission.

Contact us by completing the form on the right, and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly.

You may also make a donation of any amount by clicking on the button below.

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Responding to COVID-19

  
 When the pandemic started to take hold in New York, the Foundation quickly pivoted and developed an emergency roadmap that would help our participants quarantine at home while our centers were closed. As part of this, we found innovative new ways to deliver the essential services for which our members count on us. 

The following outlines some of these initiatives, all of which we expect to continue and evolve as we operate without our physical locations:

Wallerstein Food Pantry

This is all hands-on deck collaboration between the Foundation, facilities and procurement departments. We order dry and canned goods, pastas, and other non-perishables. Each week we pack pantry bags and deliver food to our participants across New York. We also make emergency food deliveries when we hear about a participant who needs food immediately.

Virtual Recreation Activities

To help combat isolation, loneliness and cognitive decline of Participants quarantining at home, the Foundation teamed up with CenterLight departments and staff to develop virtual activities via Facebook Live. These activities include bingo, arts and crafts projects, mindful mediation, music therapy, and stretch and exercise sessions. Our audience is growing every day and we regularly have more than 150 participants engaged at once.

Bilingual / In-Language Programs

Virtual Programs for Caregivers

Recognizing that caregivers will have an even greater and more demanding role during COVID, we have created online programming that helps this important community. Presentations have included Dan Gasby on role of caregiving for loved ones with a dementia-related illness, Inspired Memory Care presentations that provide tips on caring for family members with cognitive change in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, music therapy, and wellness/spiritual presentations with members of the clergy.

Overcoming Challenges Faced By Caregivers During A Pandemic & IsolationAlzheimer’s Advocate, Radio Host and Renowned Speaker Dan Gasby shared personal anecdotes and insights about his life caring for B., who battled Alzheimer’s disease for nearl… — **Overcoming Challenges Faced By Caregivers During A Pandemic & Isolation**
Alzheimer’s Advocate, Radio Host and Renowned Speaker Dan Gasby shared personal anecdotes and insights about his life caring for B., who battled Alzheimer’s disease for nearly a decade. Dan also spoke about how he is working through loneliness and grief in the wake of B’s passing, as well as share tips and lessons learned.

Making Connections While Social DistancingThe negative impacts of isolation are far-reaching for all older adults, and can be detrimental to those living with dementia. We will discuss resources and creative strategies for maintaining connection bet… — **Making Connections While Social Distancing**
The negative impacts of isolation are far-reaching for all older adults, and can be detrimental to those living with dementia. We will discuss resources and creative strategies for maintaining connection between families, communities, and individuals living with dementia in the time of COVID-19 and beyond.

Supporting Staff

The Foundation had already begun funding a dementia and Alzheimer’s certificate program for staff to help them be better trained in working with Participants who have a dementia-related illness (currently 60 percent of our members have a form of dementia). When COVID hit, we adapted these classes and offered them on-line so staff could continue the certification process. Currently 73 employees have taken this program.

*Friends of CenterLight is a d/b/a of the Beth Abraham/CNR Foundation, a not-for-profit organization as described in Section 501(C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code.