News

This group is for middle- and high-school students experiencing frustration with being stuck at home. We’ll talk about what it’s like being trapped with your family full-time, missing your friends, the loss of end-of-school-year activities, and other stressors. 

Facilitated by the JFS Senior Resource Network team, this group is for older adults to discuss Aging Information and Resources and other timely issues. We will address staying connected when you feel disconnected, coping with the barrage of changes and realities that impact your life, maintaining safety in your home, preserving healthy habits and self-care, and more.

…for a community-wide Holocaust commemoration. We will meet online April 20, 2020 at 7 p.m. with the entire Capital Region in remembrance of our six million fellow Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

To maximize the security of online donations, JFS uses PayPal.

You do not have to have a PayPal account to donate online.

For recurring monthly donations please click the yellow DONATE button below. You must have a PayPal account.

For one-time donations please proceed with the form below.

If you or a loved one are concerned about grocery shopping, other food or healthcare access, or have other pressing questions about general well-being during the Coronavirus public health crisis: please complete this form and someone from the JFS response team will contact you within 48 hours.

JFS and Jewish Federation of NENY are partnering to ensure our community’s needs are met. If you are not at high-risk for the Coronavirus and would like to help, sign up here.

Don’t hesitate to call JFS at 518-482-8856.

Over the past week, JFS and NNORC staff has paid close attention to the latest news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). With 15 cases reported in Albany, our top priority is to keep our clients, program participants, staff and volunteers safe. We are staying abreast of New York and national guidelines to ensure that safety. As such, in the immediate weeks ahead, here is what JFS and Albany NNORC is doing:
PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS
To reduce the risk of spreading the Coronavirus, NNORC and its program partners have canceled the following upcoming programs:

• An Afternoon at the Movies, Tuesday, March 17, 1 p.m., Madison Theater
• Let’s Talk about Albany, Thursday, March 26, 1 p.m., APL’s Bach Branch
• One-on-One Computer Skills, Monday, March 23, 12 p.m., APL’s Bach Branch
• NNORC Nurse Is In, Mondays, March 16 & 23, 1 p.m., APL’s Bach Branch
• Nurse Drop-in, Monday, March 16, 10:30 a.m., St Sophia
• Nurse Drop-in, Thursday, March 19, 10:45 a.m., Albany JCC
• Chair and Floor Yoga, March 17, 11 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. St. Sophia and 4 p.m. First Congregational
• Census Bingo, Wednesday, March 18, 11:30 a.m., Albany JCC
• No Library Links book deliveries

Please note that this list is fluid, and we plan to update you regularly about future cancellations. We also recommend visiting our website (jfsneny.org) and Facebook pages JFSNENY and Albany NNORC for the most up-to-date program information. 

HOME VISITS & TRANSPORTATION   With seniors and those with serious long-term health problems being at higher risk of serious illness from contracting the Coronavirus, we are suspending non-essential home visits and transportation to appointments until further notice. We recognize the hardship this may cause and will remain available for phone consultation to help address your needs. Your safety is our priority.
During this time, our staff will also be working to develop and offer programming and support via telephone and online. More on that in the coming days as well. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO
We ask that all members of our community be conscious of recommended guidelines:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if soap/water is not available.
• Take care of yourself if you are sick. Stay home to avoid spreading to others or call your doctor for further consultation.
• Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoid physical greetings like hugs, kisses, and handshakes. A smile goes a long way!
• If possible, cough and sneeze into a disposable tissue and the discard it. Use your elbow only if you need to.
• Avoid communal food where people help themselves, such as a buffet.

CONTINUED VIGILANCE
JFS has an important responsibility to care for our community and we will continue to focus on health and security. We will remain vigilant regarding this evolving situation, will adapt our practices as appropriate, and continue to keep you updated. For more information, please visit the NYS Department of Health or the CDC website. We know this situation is very stressful and if you would like to speak with one of our clinicians over the phone, please call our offices Monday – Thursday to arrange a session: 518-482-8856. 

Thank you for your support, trust, and patience – we all have a role to play in keeping our community healthy.

This program is has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.

Please join Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan and her staff for Census Bingo. Mayor Sheehan will discuss the importance of participating in the 2020 Census, while playing several rounds of free bingo and a Census-themed jeopardy game. Light refreshments will be served.

     For the first time since the inception of the Census, the 2020 Census can be completed online. Respondents will receive an Official Census Bureau invitation by mail containing a personalized code with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online. While the initial invitation will ask respondents to complete the Census online, the Census can be completed in four different ways: online, over the phone, in person, or via mail-in form. This one-time meeting is designed to answer your questions, as well as address any concerns you have regarding privacy, cybersecurity, and ease of access when it comes to filling out the 2020 Census.

     Join us on Wednesday, March 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the Albany JCC (340 Whitehall Rd).  Please RSVP to NNORC at 518-514-2023.

Seniors are the target of a variety of scams, and being familiar with them can keep you and your personal information safe. Thieves today will use creative schemes to find out and illegally use your personal information, including distracting you during a home repair or having a fake credit card company representative call.

      Join us on Wednesday, March 11 at 9:30 a.m. as we welcome back Trooper Steven Rothwein, Community Outreach Coordinator for the New York State Police. He will share his knowledge about the current scams that can impact you—and your wallet.  The program will be held at the Albany Jewish Community Center (340 Whitehall Rd). Please contact NNORC to RSVP: 518-514-2023 or nnorc@jfsneny.org. 

     Save April 8th for the next NNORC Breakfast Club. Students from the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will conduct health screenings.

Monday, June 22 at 1 p.m.

In April, book club members read and reported on books of their own choosing.  We had so much fun – and came away with so many terrific reading recommendations* – that we we’ve decided to do it again!  (Registration will be limited to 15 participants.)

The next Novel NNORC Book Club will be Monday, July 27 at
2 p.m. Title to be announced in the July NNORC News.

Contact NNORC to sign up (518-514-2023 or nnorc@jfsneny.org). We will then email you a link to the program meeting or give you a phone number to call in. We are using a platform called Zoom. For video conferencing, you can use it from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. If you need help getting familiar with Zoom, just call NNORC and we will help you get started.

*Novel NNORC Book Club Picks
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Voyage of Mercy by Stephen Puleo
The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larson
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Any title by Mary Higgins Clark
Educated by Tara Westover
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball