Celebrating 50 Years of Service for Westchester’s Older Adults

Joan P. Arnold, the co-founder and executive director of A-HOME, will receive the fifth annual Stanley Schear Leadership Award on May 13 for building and managing affordable housing in northern Westchester County for older adults, disabled individuals and single-parent families for more than 25 years.

Arnold will receive the award at the Stanley Schear Legislative Breakfast at the Osborn Retirement Community, 101 Theall Road, Rye, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

In today’s economic climate it is more important than ever to recognize Arnold’s achievements, said Jane Lindau, director of senior housing at Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc., which administers the award, and chair of the Westchester Senior Housing and Services Coalition, which selects the honoree.

“Joan has made such a significant contribution toward improving people’s lives by providing fair and affordable housing, said Lindau. “This honor is so well deserved.”

Caryl Rudner Weinstein, LCSW, of Rye, who retired last year as a program coordinator from the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs & Services (DSPS), will receive the coalition’s first Lifetime Advocacy Award to recognize her many years of dedication and contributions to build affordable housing in the county.

The event is free but the deadline for reservations is May 2, and can be made by contacting Lindau at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (914) 428-4507, Ext. 313. 

DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter will present the awards to Arnold and Weinstein.

The Stanley Schear Leadership Award was initiated to honor Schear, a leading advocate for affordable housing who passed away in 2006 and had been the coalition’s long-time chairman and guiding spirit.

Schear was also a founding board member of the Housing Action Council Inc. and a community activist who fought for the needs of the homeless and banning racial discrimination in housing. He founded and directed the Bridge Fund of Westchester, which enables those at risk of becoming homeless to stay in their homes.

Tony Hoeltzel, a housing coalition member, said he nominated Arnold because “she achieved a major accomplishment in developing affordable housing in the most difficult to develop portion of the county – the exurban north,” which faces obstacles such as high land costs, water and sewage issues and a lack of infrastructure for transportation.”

A-HOME, which Arnold co-founded with Peg Normann, developed 13 properties with 17 houses, and was one of the first to bring affordable housing to communities such as Chappaqua, South Salem and Pound Ridge, Hoeltzel said. Most of the buildings provide shared housing where each person or family has its own room and share a living room, dining room and kitchen. Other units are multifamily dwellings, each with three or four apartments. In addition, Arnold created a 26-member coalition of faith communities from across the county’s northern region to help A-HOME and to offer ongoing volunteer support to its residents.

Weinstein started to work for the county in 1994 and formed the Housing Committee in 1996. The committee subsequently became the Senior Housing and Services Coalition, and Weinstein was the DSPS staff liaison to the group. The coalition later created the Stanley Schear Award.

“I nominated Caryl because she has been the heart and soul of senior and housing advocacy in Westchester County for as long as I can remember,” said attorney and housing coalition member Michael Kutzin. “During Caryl’s career she was a tireless advocate for those who needed adequate, functional and affordable housing and worked with people from all walks of life and political persuasions to make it happen.”

In addition to WRO, breakfast sponsors are Westchester County, Atlantic Philanthropies, The Osborn, The Wartburg Adult Care Community, United Hebrew and Classic Residence.

Volunteers are needed to take part in a “walkability” survey to improve the safety and accessibility of sidewalks, roads and key traffic intersections for pedestrians throughout Westchester County.

The local survey is part of a statewide “Complete Streets: Making New York Walkable for All Generations” audit that will take place from April 19 to 23 and is led by the county’s Livable Communities Connection (LCC) and AARP New York. The Livable Communities initiative is the signature project of the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS).

Features of “complete streets” are well thought out traffic patterns, visible white diagonal lines to mark crosswalks, unbroken sidewalks and traffic signals that allow enough time for people with limited mobility to cross the road.

These conditions are important for people of all ages but are crucial for seniors, parents holding the hands of young children or pushing infants in baby carriages and individuals who use wheelchairs.

AARP New York said that the state has the third highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country for people over age 65.

A report from the AARP Public Policy Institute said that since the end of World War II, “transportation planning has emphasized vehicular mobility, often without attention to the needs of those traveling by foot, bicycle or public transportation or those experiencing reduced function due to age.”

The walkability surveys will be conducted in each of the nine LCC regions in Westchester. More than 20 intersections will be evaluated.

Volunteers will be asked to spend a maximum of two hours at a particular intersection and then write their findings, which will be included in a Livable Community Connection report that will be shared with county officials. The findings will also be used to encourage Complete Street legislation that balances the needs of motorists and pedestrians.

Individuals interested in taking part should immediately call the coordinator in the LCC region where they live and say what days they will be available. Wheelchair users are encouraged to call in advance to be sure that the intersections to be assessed will have curb cuts. 

DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter said that Complete Streets are key features of Livable Communities and urged people to volunteer for the audit.

“We believe that the best way to identify and eliminate problems is to get the reactions of people who use key intersections, especially seniors, who walk at slower paces than younger people and may need walkers,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter also said that an earlier survey uncovered critical information about the need to install lights, extend the time a red light is on, disallow right turns on a red light and introduce curb cuts.

“And in the process, we’ve made Westchester much more walkable for seniors and individuals with mobility challenges,” she said.

Regional Livable Community Connections (LCC)

North West LCC at Westchester Community College
Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining, Peekskill
Contact: Hannah Gross
Tel: (914) 606-6528
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

North Central LCC at Family Services of Westchester
Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, Pleasantville, Sleepy Hollow, Yorktown
Contact: Joni Erhlich
Tel: (914) 241-0770
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

North East LCC at ALOFT
Bedford, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers
Contact: Catherine Wynkoop
Tel: (914) 764-3356
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

West Central LCC at Westchester Jewish Community Services
Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Tarrytown
Contact: Linda Schultz
Tel: (914) 761-0600, ext. 314
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mid Central LCC at ElderServe Safe Center for Seniors
Eastchester, Scarsdale, White Plains
Contact: Nancy D’Auria
Tel: (914) 368-5506
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

East Central LCC at Family Services of Westchester
Harrison, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, Rye/Rye Brook
Contact: Rosalie Hines
Tel: (914) 937-2320, ext.155.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SouthWest LCC at Yonkers Office for the Aging
Yonkers
Contact: Kristen Kodl
Tel: (914) 377-6822
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

South Central LCC at Family Services of Westchester
Mount Vernon
Contact: Jean Williams
Tel: (914) 668-9124, ext. 11
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

South East LCC at City of New Rochelle Office for Aging in partnership with United Hebrew Geriatric
New Rochelle, Pelham/Pelham Manor
Contact: Phillis Maucieri
Tel: (914) 235-2363
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A program for family caregivers and seniors on “Early Detection Matters:  10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s disease” will take place Aug. 24 at Drum Hill Senior Living Residence, 90 Ringgold St., Peekskill at 2:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Alice Feintuch, a care consultant for the Alzheimer’s Association. Information will also be available about Westchester County’s Family Caregiver Support Program. For more information, call (914) 788-8860.

Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) proudly announces the 55th Annual Salute to Seniors, with three safe, outdoor, regional events in Northern, Central and Southern Westchester. Join us for a series of events that will feature music and information on programs, services and products targeted to our senior community.

Salute to Seniors will be bringing the information to your neighborhood this year. Visit any of the three Information and Community expos from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in May:

• Central Westchester
  Wednesday, May 10
  Ridge Road Park, 287 Ridge Road, Hartsdale, NY
  Directions
  RSVP by May 2
  
  
• Northern Westchester
  Wednesday, May 17
  Croton Point Park, 1 Croton Point Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
  Directions
  RSVP by May 9
  
  
• Southern Westchester
  Wednesday, May 24
  Glen Island Park, Weyman Ave, New Rochelle, NY 10805
  Directions
  RSVP by May 16

Salute to Seniors is a celebration of the seniors in our community, and includes something for everyone. Plan an outing to attend the event, spend the day, have complimentary lunch and enjoy all the attractions. Be sure to bring a friend, family member, or caregiver, and be prepared to enjoy the day.

• The Business Expo is always a favorite. More than 50 vendors at each location with products and services for seniors and caregivers, as well as representatives from County and State agencies, will be on hand to talk with salute-goers and answer their questions. View new services and sample new products.
  
  
• The Nutrition, Health and Wellness Table will celebrate a World of Flavors as part of this year’s National Nutrition Month theme. Stop by for various nutrition education literature, new recipe ideas, and a mini nutrition screening. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists will be available for addressing nutrition related health concerns and sharing information about the Senior Nutrition Congregate Dining and Home Delivered Meals programs in Westchester.
  
  
• Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors (TIPS) will once again be featured at Salute to Seniors. TIPS is the high-tech meets high touch approach to remote patient monitoring. Have your vitals taken; get your TIPS sheet and receive a gift.
  
  
• Next Stage Network Planning Initiative is designed to help you take an active role in planning your future. Take the Next Stage Planning Survey; take action towards aging successfully; and receive valuable information and resources to achieve your goals as you age.
  
  
• Living the Later Years Newsletter is printed and mailed to over 130,000 older adult households in Westchester County and is designed to inform them and their caregivers about available services, programs and events of interest. You can pick up a past issue of the newsletter and/or sign up to receive future issues at Salute.
  
  
• Seniors ride free on Bee-Line Buses May 10, 17 and 24! All routes excluding Para-Transit service.
  
  
• Sponsored by the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services (WPPP), Department of Senior Programs and Services, Westchester Parks, Recreation and Conservation, and the Department of Public Works and Transportation.

The Information and Community Expos are tented and outdoors, and are subject to change or cancellation due to the ongoing pandemic.

One box lunch provided with each reservation. Free admission and free parking.

Want to be part of the Business Expo?
We welcome businesses and non-profit organizations serving seniors throughout Westchester County to complete an application today. Get more information, including the size and rates of the booths, by visiting the website.

For more information about the Salute to Seniors event, call (914) 218-3968 or register to attend.

Download the flier to learn more.