Senior Advisory Council: Finding a Second Home

Grand Street prides itself on providing a welcoming atmosphere for a diverse, multicultural community. This is especially visible at our Older Adults Center on the Lower East Side. The key to this program is the Senior Advisory Council, a tight-knit group of longtime senior volunteers who work with staff to strengthen programs and liaise with participants.

Justina volunteering to serve meals to fellow Seniors

Volunteers have our back

A huge part of the Council’s supportive role is regularly volunteering at the Older Adults Center, where members can be seen in the Rose Center cafeteria helping serve daily hot meals for lunch, helping participants practice their English, running Bingo sessions, and so much more. “We also read to the preschoolers at the Rose Center,” adds Joyce, the council’s current president. NYC Aging’s Talent is Timeless 3rd Runner Up, Amanda, puts her energy where it’s needed: “If the staff needs help, we volunteer.” 

Amanda participates in a dance-off with one of the Rose Center participants in an intergenerational dance battle.

Meanwhile, self-described Tai Chi addict Kay follows her passions: During COVID she organized socially-distanced outdoor Tai Chi classes. Being a part of Grand Street’s community is incredibly fulfilling to Kay: “I developed strong friendships with many of the Chinese participants, allowing me to learn about their language and culture.”

Kay smiling at one of our events celebrating AAPI culture 

From childhood to post-retirement

Grand Street fosters community spaces that make you feel at home– even across generations and cultures. Las Dinámicas dancers Carmen and Justina remember visiting Grand Street with their respective parents and grandparents when they were kids.

Grand Street moms celebrating a Mother's Day fashion showcase

Mother-daughter duo Ofelia and Alice have been a part of the Grand Street family since the 1970s! Mom Ofelia even once performed for the UN with the center’s chorus. 

From L to R: Alice, Ofelia, and Joyce, current Senior Advisory Council president

Where everybody knows your name 

Our seniors are deliberate about how they spend their years post- retirement. After Yee-Soh retired, she searched for the perfect senior center all over the city until falling in love with Grand Street. Yee-Soh even joked, “The people in my building think I’m still employed because I come here every day bright and early!” And after retiring from a grueling job, Miriam found a community she craved: “When you’re working, people know you only by your job title. People don’t know you as an individual. And I was able to come here and become friends with all these beautiful people around me. I feel at home.”

Miriam all smiles while dancing with a Rose Center participant for an intergenerational