CARTER BURDEN NETWORK INC
415 E 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021 carterburdennetwork.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Carter Burden Network promotes the well-being of seniors 60 and older through a continuum of services, advocacy, arts and culture, health and wellness, and volunteer programs, all oriented to individual, family and community needs.

Senior Centers are at the core of CBNs work. Operating 4 centers in East Harlem, the Upper East Side, and Roosevelt Island, CBN serves a culturally diverse population, with over 3,500 seniors served in FY 2020 and over 400 seniors served daily. Senior centers are vital resource hubs for older adults aging in place in their communities. They are places to gather, connect, eat, learn, create, and exercise. While in-person services were suspended due to the pandemic on March 16, 2020, the centers continued to serve as hubs for food preparation, collection, and delivery; virtual programming; and wellness calls. The Leonard Covello Senior Program in East Harlem is one of only 18 NYC Department for the Aging-designated Innovative Senior Centers, normally open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. In FY 2020, the Center enhanced inclusivity by introducing sewing classes taught in Spanish and Mandarin, engaging new art students, and enabling previous students to strengthen skills through instruction in their primary language. The Lehman Village Senior Center is a satellite of the Covello Center, located in a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) public housing complex in East Harlem. In FY 2020, Lehman Village was awarded a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to connect underserved populations to the arts. Working with a professional artist, Lehman Village seniors received bi-lingual (Spanish and English) arts instruction and participated in collaborative design of murals that will beautify and personalize the space. The Carter Burden Luncheon Club has been an anchor on the Upper East Side for decades. In FY 2020, the Club provided 43,000 congregate and home-delivered meals. Community partnerships are central to the work of CBNs Roosevelt Island Senior Center. In FY 2020, in partnership with the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association, the Center launched a technology pilot, bringing smart screen devices to homebound seniors. The project provides free smart screens to participants, one-on-one technology instruction, and virtual programming, ensuring that the Center is a welcoming space for those who cannot attend in person.

Social Services are central to CBNs work, providing older adults with the emotional and practical supports to maintain independence and wellbeing. Entitlement assistance ensures that seniors have access to the nutritional, housing, income, healthcare, disability, and transit benefits for which they are eligible. Supportive counseling has been especially critical during the pandemic as loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress have intensified. Following City COVID-19 mandates to conduct all programs remotely, all CBN social services seamlessly transitioned to full services via phone. A range of social services are normally offered at CBNs senior centers, offices, and through home visits. CBNs Social Service Unit serves older adults on the Upper East Side. Providing individualized assistance with benefits, advocacy, supportive counseling, money management, and end of life planning, and referrals for specialized services, the unit provided 7,200 case assistance contacts and 4,000 information and referral contacts to 240 unique clients in FY 2020. The Unit also offered monthly groups such as the Chinese Language Group, Womens Discussion Group, and Happiness at Any Age Group, bringing older adults together for socialization, support, conversation, learning, and celebration. CBNs Case Management Unit serves homebound seniors in Upper Manhattan and Roosevelt Island, 90% of whom are frail or disabled. The unit provides home visits and calls to assist with benefits, financial management, long term planning, and specialized service referrals. Supportive counseling addresses loneliness and isolation. In FY 2020, the unit provided 8,200 case management contacts, exceeding requirements by 14%. Social services are offered at 3 CBN senior centers. These locations are central and convenient for seniors and offer a trusted space in which to seek out services. In FY 2020, CBNs senior centers provided 4,100 case assistance contacts to 1,100 unique clients and 1,900 information and referral contacts to 900 unique clients. In FY 2020, Korean language social services were added to the Roosevelt Island Senior Center. CBNs Community Elder Mistreatment and Abuse Prevention Program (CEMAPP) works with victims of elder abuse on Manhattan and Roosevelt Island to restore safety and dignity. The unit responds to financial exploitation, neglect, and psychological and physical abuse with safety planning, security device installation, counseling, court advocacy, legal guidance, and coordination with police. In FY 2020, CEMAPP provided 200 unique clients with 4,200 case assistance hours. As elder abuse too often remains hidden, the unit also conducts outreach to educate seniors and those who serve seniors on the signs of elder abuse and the resources to end it. In FY 2020, CEMAPP provided 38 presentations to 900 clients.

Arts & Culture: CBN promotes a culture of lifelong learning and creativity through arts education and a Gallery for older professional artists, providing seniors with the opportunities to expand their talents and share their creativity. FY 2020 marked the 10th Anniversary of both the Making Art Work (MAW) program and the Carter Burden Gallery. MAW is CBNs signature creative arts education program for older adults. These professionally-led multi-lingual classes for students of all skill levels take place across CBNs 4 senior centers in the disciplines of visual arts, music, and dance. Classes include painting, drawing, ceramics, clothing construction, crochet, knitting, jewelry-making, printmaking, mixed media, guitar, choir, and choreography. In FY 2020, CBN offered 1,500 art classes, attended by 700 unique clients. In FY 2020, CBN conducted a study of its MAW program at the Covello Senior Center to better understand the impact of the program on senior health and wellbeing: 88% of respondents reported decreased anxiety as a result of the classes; 81% of respondents felt more socially connected as a result of the classes; and 81% of respondents reported improved confidence as a result of the classes. The Carter Burden Gallery in Chelsea is the first nonprofit gallery of its kind in the US, taking on ageism in the arts and in society by exclusively featuring the vibrant, meaningful work of older professional artists. The Gallery provides opportunities to exhibit, promotes economic empowerment through art sales and marketing support, and provides technical assistance to help older artists cross the digital divide. In FY 2020, the Gallery held 32 exhibits featuring the work of 221 artists, sold 46 pieces, and provided 24 artists with technical assistance.

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