1936 Selfhelp is founded by German émigrés

A group of German émigrés came together to discuss ways they could assist those they left behind to come to America and build new lives. They assembled a cadre of committed volunteers who agreed to use their talents and resources to help new refugees who had been forced to flee Europe to escape Nazi persecution. For founders and volunteers alike, it was of paramount importance to provide these new Americans with the basic support that would allow them to use their individual strengths to build independent lives marked by dignity and productivity. On November 10, 1936 , in a New York City apartment, Selfhelp was born.

1937-1941 Selfhelp assists Nazi victims and refugees

As war in Europe came closer and finally erupted, increasing numbers of refugees came to Selfhelp for assistance. The Selfhelp volunteers responded by initiating the personalized direct service that would become our organization’s hallmark. They guided confused immigrants through a maze of bureaucratic paperwork, helped them find housing, and tided them over periods of unemployment with financial assistance. Jobs were not easy to find for men who needed time to meet American professional requirements and improve their English, so Selfhelp assisted their wives to get employment as practical nurses and homemakers building on skills the women had learned through running their own households. With basic family needs met by wives’ salaries, men had the time to prepare to re-enter their professions.

1941-1946 Selfhelp offers homemaker services

Selfhelp formally inaugurated its Homemaker Services in 1941, and a year later we began a Home Nursing Service to provide the care that would enable individuals to continue working even after a spouse had fallen ill. In 1942, Selfhelp made its first efforts to house the elderly by leasing space for 40 aged émigrés. In addition to pleasant and safe shelter, Selfhelp provided programs that included concerts, lectures, and English language classes as well as communal meals. Very soon, a waiting list developed for these highly esteemed services.

1946-1956 United Help is formed

Following World War II, Selfhelp was called upon to assist Holocaust survivors and other displaced persons who came to the United States without family, homes, or funds. Many were ill and all were devastated by the horrors they had experienced in Europe . Helping them adjust to life in America was a primary task, and housing remained a top priority. In 1955, United Help, Inc. was created to provide funding for care and assistance to Jewish refugees from Europe . With this help, Selfhelp was able to develop foster care and nursing home placement programs that significantly enhanced our ability to respond to the growing needs of aging immigrants.

1956-1966 First Selfhelp apartment building opens and first homemaker training occurs

Selfhelp became convinced that placing the elderly in old age or nursing homes would precipitate their decline. The organization’s leadership saw an opportunity to build on Selfhelp’s basic concept and develop an organization that would offer a comprehensive service program to help older people live satisfying, independent lives in their normal surroundings. A staff of newly hired professional social workers visited clients regularly in their homes to provide counseling, arrange for homemaker services, and respond to emergencies.

As a result of this program’s overwhelming success, Selfhelp developed the innovative notion of building an apartment complex with supportive services where the elderly could live independently among friends with similar interests. This became a reality in 1964, when the 12-story Fellowship Fund for the Aged Housing Company (now the Helen R. Scheuer House) opened its doors to almost 200 tenants. It was the first state-aided project to be built in New York by a not-for-profit organization.

In 1965, Selfhelp initiated the first training courses for homemakers in cooperation with the American Red Cross to ensure that qualified workers would be available to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of elderly and ill persons who were coming to Selfhelp for assistance.

1966-1976 Selfhelp adds housekeeping services

During this period, Selfhelp began to add outreach offices in Manhattan and Queens . Home care expanded as well. In 1970, a new housekeeping service began to provide care for clients of New York City ’s Department of Social Services.

Selfhelp’s stature as an innovator in home care was now fully recognized, and in 1975, New York City ’s Human Resources Administration selected Selfhelp to co-sponsor a study that demonstrated how the elderly respond better and live longer when served in their own homes.

1976-1986 Selfhelp establishes Guthery Home Care Training Institute

By 1977, Selfhelp was a major provider of home care in the metropolitan area, and the New York State Department of Labor awarded a grant to establish a home care training program. Through what is now called the Guthery Institute for Home Care Training, Selfhelp has continued to provide high quality initial training and ongoing in-service education to a wide variety of home health care workers.

In 1980, the Scheuer House of Bayside became home to 178 tenants. This third Selfhelp apartment building joined the two in Flushing in providing comfortable, attractive housing and comprehensive support services for seniors eager to retain their independence and contribute to the community.

On July 1, 1983, Selfhelp became a member agency of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. We are proud that our affiliation with what is now UJA-Federation has continued for over twenty years.

1986-2000 Selfhelp continues to grow and assist those in need and “at risk”

Selfhelp continued to meet the housing needs of seniors with the expansion of its housing program. By the 1990s, four Selfhelp apartment buildings in Flushing and the Scheuer House of Bayside housed more than 800 senior residents and provided them with comprehensive social services.

Six Selfhelp senior centers became hubs of activity and support for older persons in multiple Queens communities, and our home care programs grew to include service to Nassau and Suffolk Counties. In 1996, we established our Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA), Selfhelp Special Family Home Care, to provide a full spectrum of professional and paraprofessional home care services to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

In addition to its Manhattan central office, Selfhelp extended its outreach efforts and specialized programming through offices in Washington Heights, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau. As we approached the millennium, Selfhelp was providing thousands of clients with millions of hours of home health care, comprehensive social services, expanded case management for Nazi victims, housing, counseling, and recreational, educational, and social programs.

2000- Present

Selfhelp greeted the new century with the initiation of a comprehensive organizational planning process that resulted in adoption of programmatic initiatives designed to reflect ongoing commitment to the growing needs of Nazi victim clients, respond to the baby boomer generation as it approaches senior status, and develop innovative methods to address the diverse health, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of seniors in the New York area.

As part of home care’s ongoing efforts to respond to client needs, the CHHA expanded its client base to include individuals being served by other Selfhelp programs, regardless of diagnosis. In Queens, a sixth apartment building for the elderly was built and fully occupied and extensive renovations significantly upgraded senior center facilities at several sites. In 2002, a legal resources program was implemented to provide training and consultation to social workers, assist clients with legal issues, and provide elder law education to seniors and their adult children.

In July 2003, Selfhelp publicly launched a $12 million capacity-building campaign to support Nazi victim programs, quality of life services, infrastructure development, home care education, and specialized needs of housing and senior centers. A new geriatric care management program, Selfhelp Senior Source,was also initiated in that year.

In 2004, thanks to significant funding from the Weinberg Foundation and matching donors, we were able to initiate an innovative program for our home health aides, designed to give them mentoring support to enhance their job satisfaction and success and the opportunity to embark on a career ladder leading to upwardly mobile professional careers in nursing.

During this period, Selfhelp has been singled out and honored by both UJA-Federation and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and our relationships with those prestigious groups continue to grow stronger. We were also one of a small number of organizations selected by an anonymous donor in both 2004 and 2005 to receive unrestricted grants of $100,000 through the Carnegie Corporation in recognition of our mission and our service to the people of New York City.

We move toward our 75th anniversary with an ongoing commitment to the vision of our founders and renewed dedication to the preservation of independence and dignity for the most vulnerable among us. Initiatives recommended by our Board of Directors and currently being implemented include: preparation for even more acute needs as our Nazi victim population ages; incorporation of cutting edge technology into our home care, housing, and social services to enhance the effectiveness of our care and our clients’ quality of life; and the development of a comprehensive initiative that will provide compassionate services and knowledgeable guidance to those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and the family members who care for them.

Although the components of our services have grown to meet changing times and changing client needs, we are proud that Selfhelp Community Services is an organization whose hallmark and history continue to be defined by Caring for Generations.