Of nourishing meals and companionship to more than 18,000 of new york citys homebound elderly folks. Joining us in the studio from citymeals on wheels are vivienne oneill, the director of volunteer programs, and louise kramer, a citymeals volunteer. Nice to have you here. Thank you for having us. Tell us about the inception of citymeals first, back in 1981. What was the founding concept behind it . Gael greene, a restaurant critic, read an article in the New York Times about what wanted to know what the city was doing for homebound elderly on thanksgiving and realized that they werent doing anything for that weekend. And so she rallied her friends and along with james beard, former restaurateur. And they raised 35,000 to feed 6,000 homebound seniors on christmas day. Wow. And that was back in 1981. And since then, it has grown its grown and this is something thats not just in new york city, right . There are mirror programs like this all over the country. There are mirror programs all over the country all over. Actually started in england during world war ii. We citymeals on wheels cover the five boroughs of new york. And now, ms. Kramer, youre a volunteer, as well. So tell us about what made you want to volunteer. Well, i first learned about citymeals when i wrote a story about one of the board members. And i was very captivated by it. But i work in the food industry. I used to be a journalist writing about food. I wanted to give back in a way that connected to the work i do. And also, im single and have family that lives out west. And i just had this sense that i wanted to connect so all these things came together. And i contacted citymeals this great volunteer opportunity that ive now been doing for nine years, every saturday. Wow. And do you find that new york its five boroughs, 8 Million People, surrounding youre surrounded by all these millions of people, yet so many times people can be so isolated and alone in a city so large. Do you find that . Many of our seniors that we serve are isolated. 57 of our seniors are 60 or older, and theyre living alone and have no one to take care of them. Most of the times, the only person theyll see is the person who was delivering their meals or the volunteers whos coming to deliver their meals or part of a friendly visiting program. Wow. So what a joy this must be for them to see your people each day. Its really it makes them feel a lot more secure, knowing that theres always gonna be someone at their door. How often i mean, is it a daily thing, a weekly thing . How often . The seniors receive meals 7 days a week, but citymeals on wheels provide the meals for the weekends, the which are times when the seniors are mostly alone, especially when we have a snowstorm like we just did and, you know, not many people are getting around, and our volunteers are out there in full force. Theyre not only delivering a meal. Theyre also checking in. How do you get out there during the blizzard . How did you all get these meals delivered during blizzards . Well. [ laughs ] you were gonna give out the secret. Youre santa clause, thats the truth. Boots, hats, warm coats, and. And persistence. You know that theres somebody out there who cant do it. And if you can, youll do it. Youre amazing people. You really are. What hearts you have. Yeah. And there is also there are also younger volunteers also helping out now. Tell us about this program you have of younger volunteers. The young professional group, its one of the most Amazing Group thats growing so, so much at citymeals on wheels. Theyre individuals, young professionals, under 45 years old. And they go out theyre the ones who come out in droves during an emergency for us. They also raise monies and raise awareness for citymeals on wheels. Now, ms. Kramer, i mean, you work full time, right . Yes. And yet so for people who think, i have a job, i have a family, i dont have time for this exactly. Well, there is time and there are opportunities to make time, depending on your schedule. I do it on saturday mornings on the upper east side. It makes sense for me for many reasons. But my company, the Specialty Food association, which is a trade organization for food companies, our staff volunteers and our members provide products for special citymeals events. So theres wonderful chocolates and snacks going to all sorts of people through the work of my company. There are opportunities to speak to people on the phone, to make greeting cards. So vivienne has a whole range of programs so that anyone who has the urge to connect with the elderly and isolated can do things. We make it so that anyone whos interested in volunteering can volunteer with citymeals on wheels. It doesnt matter how old you are or how young you are, what your schedule is. Between delivering meals, doing friendly visits those who dont have the time can do our senior chat program, our senior script program, which is writing letters or talking to seniors on the phone. I sometimes hear volunteers on the train going home, and theyre talking to their seniors en route home. Just checking in. Just checking in. And the senior population is growing. Its growing tremendously. Right now, i think we have 1. 5 1. 4 Million People who are 60 or older in the new york area. So the need for citymeals on wheels is growing. Yes. Thats amazing. So, how can people so people just pick up the phone and say, we want to help . Pick up the phone or go to our website, whether it be a few hours one day a week or more. Or more. And they could do that. Once a month. You can celebrate your birthday volunteering with us. So, do you have certain times of the year when the need is a little greater, maybe at holidays or. During the holidays we have droves of volunteers thatll come out and help us on thanksgiving, christmas, new years. The time that we are short on volunteers are usually during july and august when many of new yorkers are away on holidays or, you know, theyre taking care of family members. So were usually during that time, were short on volunteers, and we reach out to our regular volunteer core or our young professionals. I would bet that the people who volunteer their time and spend time with Senior Citizens get a lot more out of it than even the Senior Citizens do. Thats what they tell us all the time. I feel that way very strongly. And the first time i did a meal delivery, i was hooked. I was clearly helping this woman walking with two canes who could hardly open her door, and i knew i could make this connection. And it was just a short visit. Right. And it had such an impact on me, and thats what had me go back again and again. Well, it sounds like you two really have your heart in the right place. Citymeals on wheels certainly a wonderful organization. New york and new yorkers are very lucky to have you. Today. Thank you. And we are coming right back with dance for pd. They offer specialized dance classes for people with parkinsons, their families, friends, and care partners. [ theme music plays ] welcome back to new york viewpoint. Im ken rosato. Dance for pd is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Its a collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinsons group. It enables people with parkinsons disease to experience the joys and benefits of dance all this while they also address concerns that relate to balance, motor skills, depression, and physical confidence. Joining us today from dance for pd are maria portman kelly, the program coordinator, janelle barry, a teacher, and david buffam, an actor and painter who was diagnosed with parkinsons in 2008. Nice to have you all here. Thank you. Tell us about the founding of the organization. Well, in 2001, olie westheimer, who is the founder and executive director of Brooklyn Parkinson group, approached the Mark Morris Dance Group with the idea of a dance class. At the time, and it was clear from the participants of that group they wanted to engage in something a little more active, joyful, and creative. And so it was a natural a natural fit. She had experience with dance in her own personal life. So she recognized the potential benefits and natural parallels the art form could offer. And the Mark Morris Dance Group was willing to open their doors to this community. And so what was the response like when this first began . How was the response taken by somebody who had parkinsons disease . You can tell us. I mean, did a lot of people come forward . We werent actually there at the time of its inception. But since it started, i mean, the classes have just been growing. And we have classes now in over a hundred cities around the world. And every year, we have more and more people coming to us to train as community where it doesnt currently exist. Yes, we started with a monthly class. So its grown quite significantly in the last 15 years. Thats very significant. Thats pretty enormous. And david, tell me about your involvement. Well, im a student. Like you said, i have had parkinsons for about 8 years. Right. And just pretty recently, i had stopped going to the gym and that kind of stuff because i was bored with the whole same workout routine every day. And i read about this on the internet. And i saw that it was happening at juilliard, and i thought, that sounds pretty cool. So i went to one of the classes. And surprisingly, id been pretty hesitant because i wasnt sure i wanted to see what other people with parkinsons looked like and what i might look like in the future. But i actually enjoyed being there. And the sense of community does it help you physically in terms of the movement and dance . You know, the doctors all say move, move. Use it or lose it. And, so, yes, it does. When im off, when my medicine is not working, then i really have to have every benefit that i can of the when im on to use those muscles that are supporting me. And dance is a great way to do that. And you might say, well, i can hardly walk. How can i go to a dance class . But, you know, i can do movement in my chair. If i cant move my hand, i can still move a little bit with my elbow. And people do that. Gotcha. The other great thing about this program is that the caregivers are not only, you know, allowed to come theyre invited to join the program. Really . I would imagine, though, the idea that it might be a little offputting, i would imagine. As you mentioned, you dont want to see people in various progressions of the disease at first. But once you are immersed, that must be almost intoxicating. Well, it makes me want to cry sometimes to see people with real limitations still expressing themselves with their bodies. Mmhmm. Its fascinating. Its fabulous. Mm. And how does it feel, as people running the program, dancers, et cetera, yourself people who use your bodies as the art expression to see people, exactly like david is saying, using their bodies to the best of their abilities to express themselves in the same way . Its incredibly powerful. Its a very moving experience for us, too, intoxicating keeps us coming back from week to week. And i think the essential the joyful sense of community. So it isnt about right or wrong. Its about coming together and doing something with your care partner that might redefine your relationship since your initial diagnosis. And it is fun. Can i just say how lucky we are to be in new york . Because, you know, this is happening all over the place, as janelle said. But here in new york, we have a live piano player whos a real musician. Mmhmm. We have teachers like janelle, who is a professional dancer and just finished doing mark morris the hard nut at the bam. [ chuckles ] great. Thats a real deal. You get to brush elbows with the stars. [ both chuckle ] and what about special training . Is there any special training involved before working with people who have parkinsons . Yes. Yes, and ill let janelle speak to that since shes one of our teachers. As a teacher, were encouraged to take various workshops. The first one, theres an introductory workshop, what the class is, learning about what parkinsons does, and being able to observe the class and learn what these different exercises do, seeing that its a dance class. Its not about therapy. Its not about targeting specific symptoms. Its really about sharing the joy of dance with people. Professional Development Workshops that teachers who are teaching all over the world are invited to come to new york and participate in. And we exchange ideas, see whats working, and maybe what isnt working and help each other brainstorm on those points. And what about im sorry. I was gonna ask about resources for people who may have difficulty getting to these classes. Yes. Well, for teachers, we do have an Online Training component that was created in partnership with our u. K. Affiliates. But for persons with parkinsons themselves who do not have a local class in their community, we have dvds available for purchase through our website that simulate the group class experience. The National Ballet of canada to launch a Live Streaming option for. Wow. Our classes in new york. Even david didnt know that. This spring, coming soon. And did i hear youre doing that with google . Is that right . Through google . Moving through glass is a little bit of a separate technology we have been exploring. Last year, the Mark Morris Dance Group was chosen by google to develop an app called moving through glass that brings aspects of the dance for pd experience and makes them available through google glass technology. Amazing. Yeah. That is fascinating. And so this is all done right here at juilliard . I say right here because wabc is located right near juilliard. Well, we are based in brooklyn, but we do have Flagship Program classes available in manhattan, the bronx, and queens. Fabulous. If somebody wants to get in touch, they can do so. We have a phone number there, right on our screen. And of course, well have links at abc7ny. For being with us today. Thank you. This is a fabulous program. David, i think you kind of like it. You give your thumbsup . Sure. [ laughter ] thank you so much, all, for being here. Thank you. Wonderful to meet you all. And for information on all of the organizations features on viewpoint and if youve missed part of the show and you want to see it at your leisure, do visit us at abc7ny. Com viewpoint. Were coming back with a new book, a lesson for ms. Fort. And its all about the education [ theme music plays ] welcome back to new york viewpoint. Im ken rosato. Our next guest has spent 31 years teaching in new york city Public Schools and 6 additional years teaching remedial reading and writing to cuny students. His new book, a lesson for ms. Fort, reveals his passionate concerns about a literacy crisis please join me in welcoming the author, f. Stewart kallinger, a retired writer. Good to have you here today. Glad to be here. Now, youre addressing some real challenges, as you find them, in the way school is being taught today for students. The students dont know they cant read because they dont know the alphabet. And instead of recognizing this, all these federal programs are doing is putting more pressure on the students. Its not addressing the issue. Is asking students to analyze what they read. How can they analyze what they read when they dont know how when they dont know the sounds of the alphabet . I found from sitting with my students onetoone, both in Public Schools in new york city and in cuny colleges, that they dont know all the sounds of the alphabet. And they wound up in college because they were pushed through the system in Public School because of their if every student who deserves to fail were held back, where would the incoming students sit . On the floor or the windowsill. And im not joking. There were no seats for them. So the students, whether they know their work or not, are pushed through. And because of open admissions with cuny, everyone who has graduated from high school or has a ged is guaranteed a seat in a cuny community college. So we are winding up in cunys Community Colleges with students who cannot read collegelevel text because they dont know the sounds of the alphabet. And theyre 18yearsoldplus. So, in essence, could you end up having a cuny graduate who may not even be able to read . They would probably drop out unless the teachers that they have at cuny are sympathetic and are trying to maybe change things and just push them through very subtly. But i dont think thats gonna happen. So theyre gonna drop out. But its become a fiasco because we have students who just cant read. They dont know all the sounds. So theyre guessing. What was the concept behind common core . I mean, they couldnt have been a group said, lets destroy students. There had to have been a reason why they came up with the concept. So what was the original concept . The federal government is trying to improve okay, we had no child left behind, which was a joke. Then we had the standards in which students had to read five books by the same author or five books in the same genre. They cant read. So we have to sit down we, meaning the teachers, have to sit down with the students and read it to them. Okay. And then okay, boys and girls, now do a report on this. These are the standards, the new york state standards. They dont know how to begin. They dont know how to write. They cant write a sentence. They dont know how to spell. They dont know how to spell their own names. Ive had the students who i had to tell them, you start your name, your first name, with a capital letter. They dont know that. So in your book, what does your book then tell us . What does the book talk about . The book explains whats going on. I show examples of the students, of their writing skills they dont know the alphabet. And that is basically what i show to show the public because the public doesnt know anything about this. The public thinks everything is fine. We have the common core standards. President obama just rewrote no child left behind. So the public feels everything is fine, everything is dandy. Its not dandy. Its not fine. We have a real crisis on our hands. And the president on down to the governors of the states, the mayors, have to acknowledge this. Theyre not doing it. Im calling for them to acknowledge that we have a crisis which is only gonna get worse. And what about parents and their role in all this . Its stemming from the home. Its not a Traditional Home where they have a mother and father, they come home, brother and sister, and theyre all concerned about school. How was school . Did you do your homework . Can we help you with your assignments . We have an encyclopedia over there. Unhunh. We have parents who are in jail. The fathers in jail or the mothers in jail. How can mommy be in jail . Mommys in jail with the brother and sister. Prison is glamorized. Go to jail for armed robbery, well, hell meet uncle joe in jail, so theyll have a reunion. Theyll have thanksgiving dinner together in jail. Theres no one in some of these homes. Theres no one at home when the children come home. So theyre fending for themselves. Or the mothers an alcoholic. Or the fathers an alcoholic. Its a complete breakdown of the american family. No ones addressing this. All right. So what is the solution . I recommend that social workers or psychologists be brought in and that the parents today, whether theyre in prison or at home, alcoholics, attend workshops conducted by social workers and psychologists. And also, equally as important, the children also should be spoken to by psychologists and social workers to let them know that, number one, the kind of home they live in is not the home that we should have and that, when you get older you raise your own kids, try to have a normal home so that you you dont go to prison. Prison is not a way of life. In these homes today, prison is a way of life. And what about the concept of failing schools or Charter Schools . I mean, do you think that the Charter School system is an answer . Or is it just another version of the Public School system . A Charter School is an excuse because, from what i understand, the students in Charter Schools are wellbehaved and they have parents at home who care. The students in the failing schools are not wellbehaved. They dont care because theres no one at home who cares. Theres no one at home. Theyre in jail. Theyre being raised by their grandparents. Theyre being raised by an older brother or sister. Theyre sent all over the country to an aunt or an uncle. They dont why care . Nobody at home cares. So why do the homework . I sit down with my students. My colleagues sit down. We go over every sound of the alphabet, every single sound. Next day did you practice the alphabet . Do you know it . Oh. I forgot. F. Stewart kallinger. The book is called a lesson for ms. Fort. Lets hope some officials hear what youre saying and take a real look at the system. And, parents, get the book, read about it, and ask your kids whats going on. Im ken rosato. We thank you again for joining us. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. [ theme music plays ] you like being picture perfect. You should want your banking to be too. Stop into td bank and well help set you up with picture perfect banking. New customers, open a checking and savings account and you can get a polaroid cube video camera on the spot. Remarkable things are happening at your local acme. Were making changes, and were Getting Better every day. Cleaner. Friendlier. Fresher. Like fresher meat and seafood. To top it off
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