Seasons greeting for seniors

Several people say that the holiday season should be spent with family. But what about for those who cannot be with their families?

Dr. Andrea Golden, a member of the Board of directors for the Five Towns Senior Center for the last six months, had an answer for senior citizens who found themselves without family. She, along with her late parents, Robert and Jean Wallace, began inviting seniors from the center to spend the holidays with them in the last few years. The center caters to 350 members and is located at the Carriage House on the grounds of Hewlett High School in Hewlett.

The effort had special meaning for her, as Golden was able to spend time with her late mother and father, who the former passed away in June 2009 and the latter in July 2010, she explained. And after her parents’ passing, she asked the Atria assisted living facility in Lynbrook to use their building for the gatherings.

The seniors, along with Golden and her husband, Allan and 21-year-old daughter, Arielle, have met for festive celebrations for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving and most recently, a Hanukkah and Christmas party. Their first gathering was free of charge, like that of many of the priceless memories.

“When we had Thanksgiving, I said that the next time to get together is Passover,” she recalled. “They said wait, ‘What about Christmas and Hanukkah?’ I said, I’ll ask them.” And thus, the joint Hanukkah and Christmas celebration came to be.

Between 12-14 attendees came to each gathering, according to Golden. Both her husband and daughter have helped to make the effort possible, she said. Her daughter showed several of her photos of Israel to the seniors, and they loved it, she said. In fact, Golden’s daughter emailed a photo of one senior’s childhood home to the person’s son in San Francisco.

And Golden’s husband helps to put several of the attendees at ease. When a new person attended the Christmas and Hanukkah party, Allan Golden welcomed and talked with the person all night, Golden said.

For the last three gatherings after Rosh Hashanah, the Atria only charged $12 per person. That was a very reasonable price, Golden said. “It was wonderful for them to allow us to do this at their facility,” she said.

The group also loved the food, applauding the chef for it, she added. “The service is wonderful,” she said. “They have elegant surroundings.” The group used a private dining room for their gatherings. And they applauded Golden for her efforts, she recalled.

Golden shares a memory that also made the occasions very special: “…I always mention my parents when [the seniors] were eating. What [the seniors] do is fill the void left by my parents passing.” She also hopes to continue what she calls “ a wonderful thing” in the future, she said.

She also thanked Rona Siaca, community sales director at Atria Lynbrook and Georgiana Wolfson, executive director at Five Towns Senior Center for all of their assistance.