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Spearheaded by Jewish Family Services, we have a team of volunteers and professionals ready to help you get your COVID-19 vaccine. While we are not a point of distribution for the vaccine, we can register with you or for you. There is already a waiting list, as we all learn how to navigate the system, and information pushed out by the state and counties is updated daily.

Whether you need help registering or getting to your appointment, we want to help. Call JFS’ main number at (518) 482-8856*. If you live in the NNORC, feel free to call that number directly, 518-514-2023*.

 

HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW

Albany County
Individuals 65 and older who live in Albany County can call the Sheriff’s office to be placed on a waitlist for a vaccination appointment. 
Call 518-720-8036, Monday-Friday from8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When the vaccine becomes available, they will be offering drive-through appointments at:
Albany County Sheriff’s Department
Public Safety Building
58 Verda Avenue
Clarksville, NY

They will also schedule appointments in the home for those who are homebound due to medical needs and require ambulance service. 

This is a two step process:

  1. You call the Sheriff’s office and give them your name, phone number, and age.
  2. When they get their allotment of vaccines, they will call you to schedule an appointment time.

Schenectady County
Schenectady County Public Health Services (SCPHS) is registering individuals to receive the vaccine. At this time, SCPHS vaccination is only available to individuals in Schenectady County who qualify according to the State’s eligibility criteria. (Please note, while the state will vaccinate those 65 and older, Schenectady County’s age limit is 75 and older.) Here is the link to their online pre-registration form. Once your form has been submitted, County staff will contact you when appointments are available.

Schoharie County
Schoharie county is also registering individuals to receive the vaccine. Here is a link to their online form. They will contact you once they receive their allotment and will schedule a vaccination appointment with you.

Rensselaer County
At this time, Rensselaer County is using the NYS vaccine system.

There are two ways to schedule an appointment through the NYS system: online registration and telephone.

ONLINE REGISTRATION
This link will take you to the NYS online form.
NOTE: You must have an active email address OR a mobile phone that accepts text messages to use this online form. The state requires this so that they are able to contact you. If you do not have email or the ability to receive text messages, please plan to schedule your appointment via telephone. JFS volunteers are available to help you with the email requirement and we can print your vaccine authorization once you are scheduled.

TELEPHONE REGISTRATION
Call the vaccination hotline: 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
NOTE: The hotline is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Albany County forged a partnership with Mohawk Ambulance to ensure senior citizens unable to travel from their homes for the vaccine will have the vaccine brought to them. Individual stops to senior living communities and senior residents of single-family homes will be available if they sign up for the vaccine.

PATIENCE IS KEY
Please be patient when trying to schedule an appointment as only a limited number of vaccines and appointments are available at this time.

Please see this important message from the Capital Region Hub – Regional Vaccine Network. Most importantly is to visit capitalregionvax.org for the most up-to-date vaccine information.

BE INFORMED
The Albany Times Union published a detailed article on vaccination for individuals over 65 years of age. Read it here:

Read some frequently asked questions about the vaccine.

*Please note that JFS is closed on the weekends. All calls will be return in the order they are received and as quickly as possible.

The spring 2021 are scheduled! Virtual groups are for teen, adults and older adults and are led by JFS clinicians.

For a full list of groups, description and registration, click here.

 

 

WAMC reporter Dave Lucas interviewed Bradley Mohr and Jeffery Marks as part of the Aging Series During COVID. 

Bradley Mohr shared that he was living a very active life before the pandemic hit, keeping fit and healthy, working out at the Albany JCC every day. He used to go to music festivals, concerts and attend NNORC programs. Now he participates in some NNORC programs, but online.

Jeffery Marks talked about adhering to a daily routine, an orderly set of events to get him through each day. While he spends almost all of his time at home, he has come to embrace technology. He is embracing Zoom as a way to get together with other people.

You can listen to the whole interview here.

Book lovers, rejoice!  Library Links, the library materials delivery service for homebound NNORC residents, is back, but with a plot twist. While we are still partnering with the Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library, the NNORC Program will be responsible for coordinating all pick-ups and deliveries.  For more information and to enroll in this exclusive NNORC-only service, please call NNORC Director, Michelle Dannenhoffer-Cau, at 518-516-1110.

Wednesday, February 3 at 10 a.m.

How healthy and safe is your home? Do you have multiple smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors? Do you have a fire extinguisher, and do you know how to use it? Have you ever spotted black mold? In this session, staff from Cornell Cooperative Extension will discuss the benefits of the Albany County Healthy Neighborhoods Program. While they are not currently conducting in-home safety assessments, they can set up a phone or Zoom appointment, ask a series of questions, and then make a contactless delivery of products that will improve your home’s healthy and safe. Healthy Neighborhoods is a FREE program, and there are no income requirements to participate. Many NNORC residents have had a HNP home visit or “phone visit” and are comforted to know their home is healthier and safer. They were also thrilled to receive so many helpful products!

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Thursday, January 28 at 1 p.m.

Join us for a new year of our stimulating monthly program.  The Capital region has a rich history dating back more than 400 years. In 1797, Albany became the official capital of New York State in 1797 and since then it has become of the hub of the Capital Region for banking, railroads, and international trade. Join us for a movie about the region followed by a discussion.

Save the date for the next Let’s Talk Albany on Thursday, February 25 – topic will be announced in the January NNORC News.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Wednesday, January 27 at 1 p.m.

Lack of restful sleep is a considerable stressor to the body. Not only do sleepless nights make you irritable and crabby, but it adds stress. When our bodies are stressed, it adds to inflammation and the risk for diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease. Join Fran Weiss, MS RD, CDN, Hannaford Registered Dietitian, to learn about nutritional approaches for stress management and restful sleep.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Monday, January 25  at 1 p.m.

To honor MLK’s birth month, we’ll be reading Shirley Grau’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Keepers of the House. The story is set in rural Alabama, covering seven generations of the Howland family who lived in the same house and built a community around themselves. As such, it is a metaphor for the long-established families of the Deep South, their encounter with changing values and norms, and the hypocrisy of racism.

Save the date for the next book club discussion on Monday, February 22 at 1 p.m.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Thursday, January 14 at 1 p.m.

Shopping for groceries, once a routine errand, can be challenging during these unfamiliar times. You no longer have to go out in the cold or bad weather (or during a pandemic) to stock your pantry. Join us for a discussion about the different grocery shopping options — including meal kit deliveries — available in our area. Learn which stores offer mobile ordering and curbside pick-up or delivery so that you can keep yourself safe and limit your exposure to potential viral infection.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Wednesdays, January 6, 13, and 20 at 10 a.m.

Looking for a way to increase the joy and manage the stress in your life?  Look no further than your next breath!  A regular meditation practice benefits body, mind, and spirit in many significant ways.

Whether you’re brand new to practicing meditation or find your established practice could use a little boost, this program is for you. In these three sessions, NNORC Senior Health Education Coordinator Judi England will discuss what meditation is and how it relates to reversing the stress response.  We’ll then explore different meditation techniques and ways to bring mindfulness into each and every day. Most importantly, you’ll receive support and encouragement to help you build a practice that works in your busy life.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

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