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SUMMER 2021

inspire A publication for Hebrew SeniorLife supporters

Envisioning a Future for Seniors in Our Community

WELCOME

inspire

As I write this, the sun is shining and it is truly a gorgeous day here in New England. After all that we’ve been through, I do feel like we deserve days like today, bolstering us with hope for the future.

Inspire is published by Hebrew SeniorLife.

My great feeling of optimism is thanks to science, vaccines, researchers, frontline workers, and of course, Hebrew SeniorLife’s incredible community of donors. You continue to generously support our Age of Opportunity campaign, with $90 million total raised out of a $125 million goal. This campaign is providing incredible fuel for the life-changing work happening for seniors across our organization.

Katelyn Quynn Chief Development Officer and Vice President, Board Relations KatelynQuynn@hsl.harvard.edu 617.363.8295 Stacey Weinbaum Executive Director, Board Relations Weinbaum@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5790 Teresa V. Lisek Director of Development TeresaVLisek@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5788 Laura Katz Leacu Director, Institutional Giving LauraKatzLeacu@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5785 Marsha Katz Slotnick Senior Major Gifts Officer MSlotnick@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5784 Helaine Silverman Major Gifts Officer

“I hope you’ll save the date for this year’s EngAGE event on November 1, 2021 at The Newbury Boston.”

HelaineSilverman@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5776 Deb Mayerson

With your help, we are addressing the most pressing needs of seniors and their families, from coping with the onset of dementia or illness to needing an affordable, safe place to live. Every gift to Hebrew SeniorLife counts towards the Age of Opportunity campaign and takes us one step closer to our goal of making the world a safer, more equitable, more fulfilling place to grow older. I hope you’ll save the date for this year’s EngAGE event on November 1, 2021 at The Newbury Boston. I can’t wait to see and thank you in person, and to celebrate innovations that are changing the way we age today and for generations to come. If you’re not able to join us that night, we’ll still have ways that you can be there virtually. The Hebrew SeniorLife community—donors, residents, patients, staff, and volunteers—is a family like no other. We have so much to look forward to, and none of it would be possible without you!

Major Gifts Officer DeborahMayerson@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5777 Amanda Leberman Assistant Director, Annual Giving AmandaLeberman@hsl.harvard.edu 617.971.5792

Katelyn Quynn Chief Development Officer and Vice President, Board Relations

Important Information for Our Donors Hebrew SeniorLife is always seeking opportunities to broaden our mission of serving seniors. As of October 1, 2020, all restricted gifts of $25,000 and over are subject to a 15% Shared Services Cost Recovery allocation. This unrestricted allocation of funds is used where the need is greatest. While it may be new to our organization, many similar organizations employ this concept to help raise critical unrestricted funds. When you make a restricted gift of $25,000 or more, your gift officer will discuss this policy with you. If you have any questions, please contact Katelyn Quynn at 617.363.8295 or KatelynQuynn@hsl.harvard.edu.

YOUR SUPPORT MOVES US FOR WARD

Welcoming Melissa Tearney as Board Chair Long-time dedicated volunteer steps into new role. Hebrew SeniorLife is pleased to welcome Melissa Tearney as Hebrew SeniorLife’s new Board Chair. Melissa has been a volunteer leader at Hebrew SeniorLIfe for more than 25 years, including joining the Board in 2008 and serving in such roles as Board Secretary, Chair of the Governance and Conflicts committees, and member of the Campaign Steering, Development, Audit, and Compliance committees. Melissa replaces Jeffrey Drucker, who served a three-year term. “Melissa’s passion for Hebrew SeniorLife, coupled with her leadership and consultative experience in industry and government, pair well with our mission and how the senior care field is evolving as we gradually leave the pandemic behind,” says Lou Woolf, President and CEO. “We appreciate her years of dedication to HSL and look forward to working with her in her new role.”

Melissa is a partner in the Government Enforcement & Compliance Practice Group at Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP. As co-chair of Choate’s Litigation department, Melissa was named “Top Woman of Law” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, a “2016 Woman of Influence” by the Boston Business Journal, and has made the list of Super Lawyers in Massachusetts. Over the years, Melissa has made volunteering at Hebrew SeniorLife a priority for her entire family. She, her husband Dr. Gary Tearney, and her two children have delivered holiday meals to residents, among other acts of service, and Gary is now a Trustee, Chair of the Ventures Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Research Committee. “I am both honored and proud to take on the role of Board Chair,” says Melissa. “Innovation, quality, and safety are hallmarks of Hebrew SeniorLife, and I look forward to helping the organization continue to deliver upon these characteristics in the coming years.”

In the Community Because of you, our events continue to raise money to help seniors live their best lives with innovative, person-centered communities and services. Held at the Belmont Country Club on June 7, our annual golf tournament honored the Berenson and Allen families, and raised over $200,000. The Berenson Allen building on our flagship Boston campus has grown into an epicenter of innovation to help seniors live their best lives. Pictured left to right in top photo: Honoree Toby Bloom, Honoree Doug Allen, Honoree Martin Wolff, and Honoree and Trustee Nancy Allen. Pictured left to right in bottom left photo: Toni Gordon, Honoree Cynthia Berenson, Joan Genser, and Golf Committee Member Mira Woods. Pictured left to right in bottom right photo: Board Chair Melissa Tearney, Honoree Ted Berenson, and Golf Committee Chair and Board Member Reese Genser.

“I am both honored and proud to take on the role of Board Chair.”

BROOKLINE We are working with the town of Brookline to add a new 54-unit affordable housing building to our Center Communities of Brookline complex on Centre Street, which will also include public community space for all local seniors to enjoy.

RANDOLPH At our Simon C. Fireman Community in Randolph, we are renovating existing apartments, and plan to build an additional 45 units on the property.

BOSTON Our flagship Boston campus opened in 1963. Physical structures that were state-ofthe-art then are now outdated. Our plan is to create more intimate, attractive, and flexible patient communities.

HELPING SENIORS LIVE HEALTHY AND HAPPY LIVES

Envisioning a Future for Seniors in Our Community Hebrew SeniorLife is working to expand affordable senior living communities with services that support residents living their lives to the fullest.

In 1903, a small group of Jews created the Hebrew Moshav Zekainim Association to “establish a home to take care of the old and infirm Jewish men and women in the city of Boston.” Two years later, they purchased a building in Dorchester and opened the Hebrew Home for the Aged. Since then, Hebrew SeniorLife has worked continuously to meet the changing and growing needs of all seniors in Greater Boston and today is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of senior care.

All these current and future communities share a number of features that Hebrew SeniorLife is well-known for, including adding desperately needed housing opportunities for low-income seniors and providing wraparound services to support residents’ physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. And each new project is being built using passive house standards, meaning the buildings will be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and comfortable for residents.

Hebrew SeniorLife is the largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities in Massachusetts. What truly distinguishes us is our ability to deliver high-quality Harvard Medical School-affiliated health care and robust services and programs that optimize an individual’s quality of life, where seniors live. Our aim is to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

“Our community partners are enormously grateful to have Hebrew SeniorLife involved with their projects,” says Deb Morse, Vice President of Real Estate for Hebrew SeniorLife. “Whether partnering with local community-based organizations or with towns in which Hebrew SeniorLife is already well-known, these partners are grateful that low-income seniors living in these new properties will benefit from all that Hebrew SeniorLife has to offer.”

As we look to the future, the need for affordable housing with services for older adults will only grow. It’s projected that by 2030, at least 70% of residents 65 and older in 85% of Massachusetts’ cities and towns won’t have access to affordable housing with services.

Beyond our senior living communities, we continue the revitalization of our flagship Hebrew Rehabilitation Center campus in Roslindale. We completed renovations to the sixth floor of the Berenson Allen building, named the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Family Pavilion, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re now raising the funds to begin renovations on the fifth floor, which was recently named the Gilda and Alfred Slifka Family Pavilion. These renovations create a more up-to-date patient-centered environment that enhances care delivery and patient satisfaction.

Communities Designed with Quality of Life in Mind More than just buildings, Hebrew SeniorLife is known for offering programs and services that foster healthy and rich lives for residents in our communities. For that reason, a number of community organizations in the Greater Boston area are exploring partnerships with us to develop affordable senior housing designed to keep older adults in their homes as they age.

With your help, we can extend our legacy of caring for the most vulnerable among us and provide quality senior living communities and health care for all older people in the Greater Boston area regardless of their economic status. As we continue to explore ways to work with local neighborhood organizations and city agencies, we invite you all to join us as we build a future where all older people in our communities can live life to its fullest.

At our Simon C. Fireman Community in Randolph, renovations to existing apartments are already underway. We have also partnered with the town to build an additional 45 units on land that we own at the property. We’re also working with the town of Brookline to add a new 54-unit affordable housing building to our Center Communities of Brookline complex on Centre Street, which will also include public community space for all local seniors to enjoy.

TRAINING BENEFITS PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS

Creating a Career Path for Aspiring Health Care Professionals Fully paid program removes barriers to accessing education. Certified nursing assistants are key members of caregiving teams in many health care settings, including long-term care facilities. They spend the most time with patients, provide the most intimate services, and develop close emotional ties with the individuals in their care. CNAs at Hebrew SeniorLife must also understand older patients’ special needs. The seniors we serve deserve caregivers trained to address their unique concerns.

Edith, a patient at HRC-Boston, chats with new CNA Training Program graduate Lucie.

We created this program to not only address the shortage, but also remove barriers that potential CNAs may have to continuing their education. Co-led by Tabitha Fineberg, Hebrew SeniorLife’s Administrative Director of Academic Programs and Susan Graff, Director of Professional Practice and Education, the program graduated its first group of trainees in March 2021. Students are paid during the training, and those who graduate are guaranteed a full-time position at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and are certified by the American Red Cross.

Attracting and retaining top-quality CNAs is essential to fulfilling Hebrew SeniorLife’s commitment to provide the best care possible. However, as a shortage of health care professionals specializing in the care of older adults continues to grow, recruiting new staff is becoming more challenging than ever. And COVID-19 has only made the situation worse. Many CNAs decided to leave a job that was very high-risk when the pandemic began. At the same time, the need increased as nursing homes were desperately trying to fight the virus while continuing to care for and engage residents and patients.

The program also helps build a pipeline of future nursing leaders. “At Hebrew SeniorLife, we find that many of our CNAs continue their education and later fill more senior roles such as LPN or RN, and some go on to management positions,” says Tabitha. “Because our program pays students during their training and guarantees them a job, it provides a rewarding and viable career pathway for a population that may have difficulty accessing traditional educational programs due to financial, socioeconomic, and other factors.”

Fortunately, problem-solving is in Hebrew SeniorLife’s DNA. Spurred by our commitment to build the senior health care workforce of tomorrow, we’ve launched a program to train CNAs as part of our effort to make sure our patients are well taken care of, and to address the wider CNA shortage. Students come from other positions within Hebrew SeniorLife, as well as outside the organization.

“I never knew learning could be so much fun until I started this program,” says Roland Williams, a graduate of the program. “The instructors are a lot of fun and make me want to learn more. I can’t wait to get on the floors and work with the patients in a new way.”

“The instructors are a lot of fun and make me want to learn more. I can’t wait to get on the floors and work with the patients in a new way.”

We are thankful for the support from the Bessie Dubinsky Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund and the Rogers family to help fund the CNA Training Program. If you are interested in supporting this program or other education and training at Hebrew SeniorLife, please contact Teresa V. Lisek at 617.971.5788 or TeresaVLisek@hsl.harvard.edu.

GIVING TO WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU

“We can see that our support is actually making a difference.”

Nathan Urquhart, Ira Rogers, Maxine Rogers, HSL Trustee Larry Rogers, HSL Trustee Jamie Rogers, and (front row) Matthew Rogers.

Fostering Opportunities for Frontline Staff Rogers Family supports new CNA Training Program. Larry and Maxine Rogers have walked a long and dynamic journey with Hebrew SeniorLife. They became involved in the Men’s and Women’s Auxiliaries in the 1980s and went on to serve in volunteer leadership, which included Larry serving as President of the Men’s Associates. Larry is now a Trustee and on HSL’s Investment Committee, making good use of his background as a financial advisor. He also serves on the Retirement Plan Committee. Their children, Ira and Jamie, started volunteering when they were teenagers, and Jamie is now a Trustee. Each step of the way, Larry and Maxine have developed a special appreciation for Hebrew SeniorLife’s frontline staff, culminating in a recent gift to Hebrew SeniorLife’s CNA Training Program. Their interest in direct care staff began more than two decades ago, when Larry’s mother was a patient at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale. “I remember the aides, how kind and compassionate they were,” says Larry. “One particular CNA, Winnie, spent hours and hours caring for my mother. It made it so much easier on all of us, knowing that my mom was in good hands.” Years later, Larry was reminded of the critical role frontline staff play when a nurse’s aide made a presentation to HSL Trustees. Through her story, he also became aware of the great need for scholarships 7

and paid training for entry-level staff. The presenter shared that she wanted to become a registered nurse, but that training was far beyond her ability to pay— especially because it would take time away from her ability to work and support her family. Fortuitously, the Human Resources department learned of her need and dedication and provided a much-needed scholarship. She went on to serve in a leadership position on our nursing team. Several years later, when Larry and Maxine learned about HSL’s CNA Training Program, they realized it perfectly aligned with their desire to make a difference. The initiative, launched in 2021, recruits and hires qualified individuals and pays them while undergoing their CNA training. “As a former teacher, I believe education is the key to a successful and rewarding career,” says Maxine. “We are thrilled to support this initiative.” Larry and Maxine have now committed to supporting one class of 6 to 10 trainees and look forward to meeting them at the beginning of the course and following their progress until graduation. “I’m really psyched about this!” exclaims Larry. “Over our lives, we have donated to a lot of causes, but this is very special. We’re interested in individuals and can see that our support is actually making a difference.”

LEADING THE WAY

Foundation Grant Helps Build Culinary Careers “Bettering myself in this job is my ticket to a better life.” Hebrew SeniorLife understands that engaged and committed employees are critical to the success of the organization. We strive to provide opportunities that inspire employees at all levels to see what they do as not just a “job,” but a career with potential for advancement. Hebrew SeniorLife’s Culinary Department provides a ripe environment to put that theory to the test. A grant from the Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, a foundation with a special interest in supporting the needs of Boston families, is helping employees in Hebrew SeniorLife’s Culinary Department realize their dreams of building meaningful careers in the culinary and hospitality field. The grant is funding a pilot program called the Culinary and Hospitality Immersion Program built on a competency-based training model that empowers participants to learn the skills they will need to build a successful culinary career.

Our culinary staff now has a path for advancement.

Before enrolling entry-level staff members, the program trained more than 20 peer mentors and supervisors on effective feedback, communication skills, and other tools. We then trained 23 entry-level culinary staff members on effective feedback and communication, other soft skills, and the culinary skills necessary for a next-level promotion. Currently, 19 of these employees have successfully been promoted into higher roles within the organization. Our pilot program has been so successful we are planning to continue it.

Some culinary staff members hold entry-level positions and come to Hebrew SeniorLife with little or no training. Many are motivated to advance their careers but don’t know what skills they need to move up within the organization. The program provides training that ensures employees are competent in their current roles and understand what they need to learn and master to advance to the next one.

A note from one happy program participant said, “I came to this country wanting the American dream. I feel I have found that at HSL! I think bettering myself in this job is my ticket to a better life.”

Serv-Safe training is an example. This program focuses on preventing foodborne illnesses; food preparation, holding, and serving guidelines; food-safety management systems; sanitation guidelines; and more. Serv-Safe certification is standard in the culinary industry and required for those who seek a management position. HSL’s program for culinary staff also includes English language skills.

Be remembered for your kindness Leave a charitable bequest to Hebrew SeniorLife in your will … and you create a personal legacy that will help older adults live with independence, dignity, and joy, and ultimately, ensure a bright future for all of us as we age. For more information on bequests or other giving opportunities, contact Carol Snow at 617.971.5780 or carolsnow@hsl.harvard.edu.

hebrewseniorlife.org/bequests

1200 Centre Street Boston, MA 02131