Health & Wellness

On August 24th, Ms. H. of Staten Island began work as a Telehealth Nurse with the Cleveland Clinic, one of the best-known names in American health care. Her new job marks the 965th placement made by the Parnossah Employment Services Program since it opened over a decade ago, and it leaves the program just 35 placements short of 1,000, [...]

Rosh Hashanah is a time to pause, reflect, and step into the new year surrounded by the people who matter to us most. For JCCGCI, that meant bringing together a community we serve with the leaders who stand behind them. Last week, the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI), in partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council [...]

On the night of July 4, as families throughout Coney Island gathered to celebrate the holiday, gunfire tore through a family barbecue in a residential courtyard near West 30th Street and Surf Avenue, just blocks from the boardwalk where hundreds were celebrating. Eight people, including four children between the ages of six and fourteen, were shot. One young woman [...]

As summer winds down and school buses begin their routes again, thousands of families are getting ready for the first day of a new school year. Students are refilling their supplies and parents are filling out forms, but for many, this time of year adds additional pressure. New schedules have to be arranged, schoolwork begins piling up again, and [...]

For a new mother still recovering from childbirth, an older adult managing a chronic illness, or an at-risk family already stretched thin, something as basic as getting groceries into the home can become a daunting obstacle to maintaining good health. A trip to the store isn't always simple, or even possible—and when food insecurity and health challenges collide, the [...]

Walk into any one of JCCGCI's Older Adult Centers on a weekday morning, and you'll find the same thing: a room full of life. Someone is calling out bingo numbers in one corner of the room while a dance class is warming up on the other. What one may expect to be a silent room of relaxation is actually [...]

For many older adults, Medicare is one of the most confusing systems they will ever have to navigate. With premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, prescription formularies, and enrollment periods, even the terminology alone can be overwhelming. When a single misstep can mean paying hundreds of dollars more than necessary or losing coverage altogether, the stakes could not be higher for the [...]

August marks National Wellness Month, a nationwide reminder to pause and prioritize the habits, resources, and support systems that help us live healthier, fuller lives. At JCCGCI, wellness has never been a seasonal conversation. It's the foundation of nearly all of the work that we do, whether that's showing up for someone navigating a hard season, helping a neighbor [...]

At JCCGCI, we know that caring for others begins with caring for ourselves. On June 16, approximately 50 staff members from across the organization gathered at the Marien Heim Older Adult Center for JCCGCI's first-ever Employee Wellness Event, an afternoon dedicated to rest, connection, learning, and self-care. The event brought together employees from programs & departments throughout the agency, [...]

For thousands of older adults across New York City, remaining at home is deeply connected to independence and quality of life. But for many homebound older adults, everyday tasks that once felt routine -  grocery shopping, preparing meals, or even leaving the house safely - can become overwhelming challenges. As mobility limitations, chronic illness, financial hardship, and social isolation [...]