Residents of the Jewish Home in Fairfield in the Work Activity Center.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat will stop a group of hearty senior adults – many of them well into their 80s and 90s – from toiling away at the Work Activity Center in the Jewish Home in Fairfield, a program of Jewish Senior Services. Of course, they don’t have much of a commute: The Work Activity Center is just one stop off the elevator, right near the therapeutic recreation area. The residents report for work, where they keep busy folding, stuffing, labeling, sorting, and stamping the many pieces of mail that go through the Center. And yes, they do earn a paycheck – which they often use to shop at The Gift Shop in the lobby of the Jewish Home.

“It gives me something to do and a sense of pride,” says resident Helen Downs, a Center regular. That sense of pride comes from the knowledge that they are helping others: In addition to Jewish Senior Services, the Work Activity Center provides help to other organizations that hire the residents to handle their mailing needs. These organizations – such as UJA Greenwich, Congregation Rodeph Sholom and Minute Man Press Monroe – know that the Home residents will get jobs, both big and small, done quickly and affordably. At the same time, the organizations have the satisfaction of knowing that they are making a worthwhile difference in residents’ lives.

“The residents love what they do. They love doing it together and they look forward to coming to work,” says Josh Garcia, coordinator of the Work Activity Center.

The Work Activity Center picks up and delivers to clients or directly to the post office. For more information, contact Josh Garcia at (203) 396-1008 or  workactivity@jseniors.org.