By Daniel Massey
Seniors who are normally on the receiving end of services did some giving of their own Monday morning at the Selfhelp Austin Street Senior Center in Forest Hills, wrapping more than 700 holiday gifts for 290 children affected by HIV/AIDS.
The seniors will present the gifts, many of which they made with their own hands over the last several months, to children who have HIV/AIDS or have family members who are infected during a holiday party on Dec. 9 in Manhattan.
Armed with rolls of gift wrap, tape and piles of unwrapped presents, more than 25 seniors from six Queens senior centers participated in the ninth annual Selfhelp gift wrap.
“These are people who receive services from Selfhelp, but they also wanted to give,” said Selfhelp Chief Executive Officer Stuart Kaplan.
Selfhelp Community Services, founded in 1936 by a group of German Jewish refugees to help other Holocaust survivors, is one of New York’s largest nonprofit geriatric and home-care agencies. The organization runs six senior centers in Queens serving more than 10,000 older borough residents. Its goal, Kaplan said is to keep seniors living at home as long as possible.
Elected officials, including state Assemblyman Michael Cohen (D-Forest Hills), state Sen. Daniel Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) and Councilwoman-elect Melinda Katz of Forest Hills visited with the seniors as they wrapped handmade wooden toys, knitted hats, dolls and beaded jewelry.
Of the more than 25 volunteers present in Forest Hills Monday morning, many were veterans of the toy wrap who said they returned this year because they loved seeing the faces of children given gifts in past years.
“You come away feeling very good,” said Mary Pierson, a third-year volunteer. “Your heart is happy.”
Abe Arbeiter, who has volunteered every year since the program was initiated nine years ago, recalled a memorable moment from the first holiday party.
“The first time I gave a toy to a little boy and he looked up at me with a sparkle in his eye as if to say ‘is this for me? Nobody ever gave me a gift in my life.’ It was an unforgettable moment.”
Volunteer Doris Chipkin said it was the fifth year she had wrapped toys for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
The mother of five, grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of four said she enjoyed participating because “I know how important it is for kids to celebrate the holidays.”
Millie Rigoli, a fourth-year wrapper, said she appreciated the giving as much as the children loved receiving the gifts. “It’s as important to us as it is to them,” she said. “If you could see all those faces…”
Reach reporter Daniel Massey by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 156.
