The Beauty of Aging in Westchester with Community Support

Many people come to and decide to age in Westchester because of the resources and sense of community available. Family Services of Westchester is committed to meeting the needs of the elders in our community through a variety of programs. RideConnect, one of these programs, works with community volunteers to help older adults maintain their independence and mobility by providing accessible and responsive transportation options to those in need. When community members come together it is amazing to see how those who offer the assistance and those who receive it benefit. A perfect example is right here in Northern Westchester. Mr Bubser, of Bedford Hills uses RideConnect to continue to volunteer, shop and maintain what is most important to him in his life. He shared, "RideConnect is an excellent service. Unfortunately, I can no longer drive. By being able to get these rides, my quality of life has greatly improved. Their volunteers are always on time, courteous and the ease of making reservations on the phone is a plus. My wife had dementia and I was her caregiver for many years until she died. I then fell into a deep depression. To help pull myself out of it, I made sure I got out of the house and started volunteering in the community and found that helping others and seeing them improve has caused me to improve. I exercise regularly, teach classes on deep breathing, take classes on stress management and work at the transitional care unit at a local hospital. Being involved with others on this level has helped me continue to lead a very fulfilling life." Patricia Jordan, from Mount Kisco sees the benefits from the other perspective, as a driver. When I started volunteering with RideConnect three years ago, my main objective was to help older people maintain their independence and remain in their own homes - and how better to do that than to help them to remain active participants within the communities of which they are a part? What I didn't realize was how enriching the experience would be. I have met dozens of wonderful people who are so grateful for the help we at RideConnect are able to provide. What they don't realize is how grateful I am to them for allowing me to hear their stories, laugh with them and be even a small part of their lives. I've learned so much from these men and women!" We are fortunate to live in a community with such resources and neighbors to support them. To get involved in FSW’s RideConnect community please contact Karen Ganis, Program Director, RideConnect at (914) 864-0955 or Kganis@fsw.org. To learn more about Family Services of Westchester’s other programs that support older adults please contact Eric Toth at 914-872-5259 or etoth@fsw.org.