Selfhelp Community Services Completes $12.5 Million “Forward Together” Campaign

NEW YORK, N.Y. —Selfhelp Community Services announced today that it has successfully completed Forward Together: The Campaign for Selfhelp, reaching its ambitious $12.5 million goal following a three-year fundraising effort to strengthen the organization’s ability to serve the growing needs of Holocaust survivors, older adults in need of housing and other supports, and other vulnerable New Yorkers for years to come.

The campaign reached the finish line at Selfhelp’s Fall Classic on October 5th, a milestone that represents an extraordinary investment in Selfhelp’s future and the people it serves.

Forward Together was launched to help Selfhelp fulfill its historic commitment to Holocaust survivors while responding to some of the most urgent challenges facing older New Yorkers today — from the shortage of affordable housing and the lasting effects of trauma to the need to recruit, retain and support the skilled professionals who provide critical care.

“Forward Together began with a belief that this was a defining moment for Selfhelp and for the communities that depend on us, and our supporters answered that call in an extraordinary way,” said Stuart C. Kaplan, CEO of Selfhelp Community Services. “Reaching $12.5 million is a tremendous achievement, but the true measure of this campaign will be what these resources make possible: helping Holocaust survivors live their final years with dignity and compassionate care, creating more affordable homes for older New Yorkers, bringing trauma-informed practices to people who need them, and investing in the remarkable staff who make our mission real every day. I am profoundly grateful to every person who helped move us Forward Together.”

Selfhelp was founded to assist refugees fleeing Nazi persecution and has maintained a sacred pledge to serve as the “last surviving relative” to Holocaust survivors. Today, Selfhelp serves more than 6,000 Holocaust survivors, many of whom live alone and in poverty. The organization anticipates that survivor services will continue to be needed through 2040.

Forward Together raised $5.2 million to strengthen that historic mission by supporting subsidized home care, emergency financial assistance, pastoral care, guardianship services, Shabbat meals and other critical services for Holocaust survivors.

The campaign raised $2 million to advance Selfhelp’s response to New York’s affordable housing crisis. Through the Selfhelp Realty Group / The Melamid Institute for Affordable Housing, Selfhelp currently operates 19 buildings that provide affordable homes to 2,000 low-income older adults, including people who previously experienced homelessness. Campaign support will help lay the groundwork for six additional affordable residences over the next decade, with the potential to house approximately 3,000 older adults.

Forward Together will also support the development of a Center for Trauma-Informed Care, building upon knowledge Selfhelp has developed through decades of serving Holocaust survivors. Thanks to $1 million raised in the campaign, the Center will train employees, support evidence-based research and help disseminate approaches for providing compassionate, responsive care to older adults who have experienced trauma.

The campaign further invests in Selfhelp’s workforce through professional development, career advancement, tuition reimbursement, internship scholarships, expanded home care aide training, and recruitment and retention initiatives.

“The success of Forward Together reflects what has always made Selfhelp exceptional: a community willing to come together around the belief that every person deserves to age with dignity, security and independence,” said Raymond V.J. Schrag, President of Selfhelp’s Board of Directors. “Our donors saw both the urgency of this moment and the opportunity before us. Their generosity gives Selfhelp the resources to honor our history while building for the future. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who invested in this campaign and in the people Selfhelp serves.”

“Leading Forward Together has been a deeply meaningful experience. We saw how much this campaign could do to strengthen Selfhelp’s promise to Holocaust survivors, expand affordable housing for older adults and support the people who provide care every day,” said Staci Barber and Debrah Lee Charatan, co-chairs of Selfhelp Community Services Foundation Board of Trustees. “Reaching the $12.5 million goal took the commitment of an entire community, and we are grateful to every person who helped bring this vision to life. The campaign’s success will be felt in the lives of the people Selfhelp serves for years to come.”

The campaign’s successful conclusion was celebrated during Selfhelp’s annual Fall Classic, Chaired by Jeff Fells of Langdon Title, and brought together hundreds of golfers, tennis players and pickleball players for a day of competition and community, followed by an evening dinner. The event raised more than $500,000 to support Selfhelp, including the final $100,000 needed to complete the Forward Together campaign.

At the event, Selfhelp honored Dan Cooperman of Mavik Capital Management with its Visionary Impact Award, recognizing his commitment to creating meaningful impact and supporting Selfhelp’s mission, and David Schechtman of Meridian Capital, who received the Partner in Purpose Award, recognizing his partnership with Selfhelp and dedication to advancing the organization’s work on behalf of vulnerable New Yorkers.

During the evening, Selfhelp recognized several of the campaign supporters whose leadership and generosity helped make the $12.5 million milestone possible: Staci Barber; Debrah Lee Charatan; Patti Askwith Kenner; Irene Kohn of the Anita K. Hersh Philanthropic Fund; Ralph Marash and Carlo Villorente; and Raymond V.J. Schrag.

“Tonight, we celebrate not only the successful conclusion of the campaign, but what its impact will make possible for several years to come,” Stuart Kaplan told guests at the event. “Your generosity helped transform an ambitious vision into a remarkable reality.”

With Forward Together complete, Selfhelp enters its next chapter with resources to meet rapidly changing needs while remaining grounded in the promise that has guided the organization throughout its history: to provide compassionate, trusted and innovative care that respects each individual’s life experiences and enables older adults to live with dignity and independence.

About Selfhelp Community Services

Selfhelp is dedicated to providing care that is compassionate, trusted, and innovative, always respecting the life experiences of those they serve. Selfhelp’s unique approach is rooted in their longstanding work with Holocaust survivors. Each year, they support 25,000 individuals through affordable housing, home care, and community-based services, supporting aging with dignity and independence. www.selfhelp.net