Refreshing our Mission Statement
Dedication Ceremony

I am pleased to introduce our revised mission statement adpoted at our Board of Directors Meeting in November.

Mission Statement
Selfhelp is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
maintaining the independence and dignity of seniors
and at-risk populations through a spectrum of
housing, home health care, and social services
and will lead in applying new methods and
technologies to address changing needs of its
community. Selfhelp will continue to serve as the
"last surviving relative" to its historic constituency,
victims of Nazi persecution.

Periodic assessments are important…whether it's combing through your winter wardrobe, appraising your piano technique, or undergoing your performance evaluation at Selfhelp. This past summer, our Board of Directors embarked upon the process of reviewing and rewriting Selfhelp's mission statement. What were some of the key points the Board wanted to emphasize when crafting revision of the mission statement? All agreed that when asked a seemingly simple question: "What does Selfhelp do?" it was often difficult to answer in a sentence or two. I'm sure many of you can relate to this situation -- for good reason -- because we provide such a wide variety of programs and services to so many different constituencies. However, when we take a close look at the wonderful work in which each of us is engaged, going back 70 years to our original raison d'être, two words come to mind: independence and dignity. Whether it's Nazi Victim Services, Senior Communities, Home Care or administrative responsibilities, the common thread is that we provide our clients with the opportunity to live with independence and dignity. That comes through loud and clear in the revised mission statement. Technology is a new focus for the field of aging services and for Selfhelp. It is becoming an essential component of service delivery, as it has already become in most other fields. Innovation, be it through technology or other methods, has long been one of Selfhelp's secrets of success. We have incorporated this into the mission statement to reaffirm our commitment to continuously build upon our quality and expert network of services.

You will note that "victims of Nazi persecution" now closes our mission statement. The Board made the decision to "flip" the placement of Nazi Victim Services to broaden Selfhelp's reputation as a multi-faceted service provider in the community. Many people in the community are aware of our service to the Nazi victim community; however they may not be cognizant of the depth and breadth of our other programs, which serve some 15,000 men and women throughout metropolitan New York. All should note that Nazi Victim Services has never been stronger, and we anticipate serving thousands of victims of Nazi persecution for many years to come. Our reference to Selfhelp serving as the "last surviving relative" quotes the promise that our founders made to continue to serve, as long as one victim requires our service.

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