The Margaret Tietz Center is a proud supporter once again of this year’s 15th Annual L’Chaim 5K Walk/Run for Israel hosted by the Young Israel of Kew Garden Hills. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, May 29, 2016. Proceeds will go to benefit Israel terror victims by providing humanitarian aid, protection for Israeli school children, and emergency medical care. Registration will be from 8-9AM at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates. The race starts around the building on 188th street and will run along the Cunningham Park area.

The Margaret Tietz Center has an amazing volunteer core. Dedicated and compassionate people from all walks of life and ages help make Margaret Tietz home to the many residents in our care. Trudy Schwarz, a past board member, has been volunteering at Margaret Tietz for 30 years since her mother was a resident in our care. Trudy selflessly gives up her time and energy in a very unique manner and has been recognized and written about in McKnights Long Term Care Publication and given a special award by Queens Interagency Council on Aging this past April in conjunction with National Volunteer Week. Trudy is here on a weekly basis to fill the shopping requests of all residents that would like something special that they have no way of obtaining. She takes orders ranging from special creams, cookies, chocolates, chips, and much more. Trudy spends a good portion of her week shopping for all these items where she can get the best price. There is no profit made on any of these items and this affords the residents the ability to pay for these given their limited funds. Everyone looks forward to Trudy’s visit to them personally with her traveling cart. After a full day of affording our residents the ability to make these purchases she then continues into the evening making 1-to-1 visits. Trudy has more energy, stamina and patience than most 25 year olds I know. She is 96 years of age. She is an inspiration to everyone here at Margaret Tietz. Trudy is retiring from this facility in June. The residents will miss her and the wonderful service she provided for all these years. We are looking for someone that will help us with this special service for our residents. Please contact Linda Spiegel at 718-298-7838 if you or anyone you know would be interested in this opportunity. Click here to read the interview in McKnight’s publication highlighting Trudy’s service.

The Margaret Tietz Center is a proud sponsor along with NY-Presbyterian Hospital of a series of medical lectures entitled “Navigating the Medical System” which are presented at Congregation Etz Chaim of Kew Gardens Hills every month. Prominent physicians in a variety of specialities have presented information to the community throughout the last five years. These sessions are open to the public and are free of charge. This series is coordinated by Dr. Mel Breite, internist at NYPQ. The next lecture will be presented by Dr. Gary Bernardini, Chair of Neurology at NYPQ on May 24 at 7:30 PM on the topic of syncope and collapse. The last lecture will take place on June 21 at 7:30PM and will be presented by Dr. Stuart Kaplan and Dr. Tehila Zuckerman on rheumatology.

Gerald Hart Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2011 in memory of our past administrator, Gerald Hart. He was only 35 years old but accomplished so much and left a legacy that not too many people do in a lifetime. He was kind, passionate, accomplished and cared deeply for everyone he came in contact with. If you were privileged enough to know him you would know immediately what a special person he was. Everyone’s Success was his Success!! He was a Marine and his motto was “Adapt and Overcome” and he did. He had a special feeling for the students from QTC and wanted to see each one succeed. The Margaret Tietz Center’s relationship with the Queens Transitional Center goes back over 25 years. 1-2 students are selected each year as the fortunate recipients of this award toward their future endeavors. These awards are presented at their graduation which takes place this year on Tuesday, June 14, 2016.

On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 the Margaret Tietz Center hosted a Volunteer Lunch Party for our Special Education Program students from Queens Transition Center and Francis Lewis High School in recognition of their daily assistance throughout the year. Whether assisting with transport of our residents to rehab, activities, or helping stock our Central Supply needs on the units these students are a wonderful addition to our community here at Margaret Tietz.

On Tuesday, May 10, 2016, the Margaret Tietz Center held its Nurses Day celebration in honor of National Nurses Week from May 6 – May 12. A beautiful lunch was served, balloons in the air, raffles prizes donated and a canvas tote bag was given to each of our valued nursing staff members in appreciation of their dedication and compassionate care.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2016, the Margaret Tietz Center held a Holocaust Memorial Service in remembrance of those who died in this tragic event. Guest speakers, Mr. Jehuda Edron, President of the Holocaust Restitution Committee, President of Holocaust Survivors of Queens at Rego Park Jewish Center, Member of the Board of Directors of The Claims Conference, Member of Self Help focusing on the needs of Holocaust Survivors and Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky, Chabad of Northeast Queens shared their inspirational words and recollection of personal experiences during the war respectively. Over 30 residents were in attendance.

On Thursday, April 14, 2016, the Margaret Tietz Center held its Annual Senior and Community Volunteer Luncheon. The event was well attended by volunteers representing over 15 different schools and organizations all over the borough, including Hospice of New York. A delicious and beautiful luncheon meal was provided for all of our guests by our fabulous Chef Yossi and his Team. All volunteers received a lunch container as a token of our appreciation with a small leather journal. Schools and organizations received either a certificate and citation or plaque in honor and recognition of their care and compassion towards our residents. Beautiful raffles were donated by the community and raffled off to our volunteers. In our facility, volunteers really provide a significant contribution towards the resident’s quality of life. They bring companionship and happiness like nothing else can. We are forever indebted to our volunteers for their service to our residents.