Who we are
One of our members noted that Creative Aging in Nyack "builds a vibrant and proud consciousness about aging."
Our goal is to help people 60 and older who live in the Nyack area continue to be active and independent so they may remain in the homes of their choosing. We are interested in helping people thrive as they age and in breaking the stereotype of the aging person as dull and passive. We experience life fully, enjoy new opportunities, and continue to contribute to our community as we grow older. We are a close community ready to help each other at any time.
Through the meetings we hold every two weeks, we provide information and activities to help keep our members informed, engaged, and healthy. These meetings have included topics and activities such as understanding living wills and trusts, power of attorney, and establishing a health care proxy; staying healthy through age appropriate exercise such as walking, chair yoga, and Qi Gong; and apprising our members of benefits available to them through resources such as the Rockland County Office for the Aging. But we go beyond topics around aging. We talk about community, humor, friendship, and the arts. All members receive The Notes, our newsletter which we send by email every two weeks after the meeting. The Notes has announcements and a full written narrative of everything that happened at the meeting.
We are a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Click on the button below to read our Bylaws.
Our goal is to help people 60 and older who live in the Nyack area continue to be active and independent so they may remain in the homes of their choosing. We are interested in helping people thrive as they age and in breaking the stereotype of the aging person as dull and passive. We experience life fully, enjoy new opportunities, and continue to contribute to our community as we grow older. We are a close community ready to help each other at any time.
Through the meetings we hold every two weeks, we provide information and activities to help keep our members informed, engaged, and healthy. These meetings have included topics and activities such as understanding living wills and trusts, power of attorney, and establishing a health care proxy; staying healthy through age appropriate exercise such as walking, chair yoga, and Qi Gong; and apprising our members of benefits available to them through resources such as the Rockland County Office for the Aging. But we go beyond topics around aging. We talk about community, humor, friendship, and the arts. All members receive The Notes, our newsletter which we send by email every two weeks after the meeting. The Notes has announcements and a full written narrative of everything that happened at the meeting.
We are a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Click on the button below to read our Bylaws.
Groups and Activities
While there are many informal gatherings of CAN members who have become friends, some of our activities are more organized.
Care Specialists
This is a dedicated, trained group of members who have volunteered to step in to coordinate the support system needed when a member is injured or ill. They contact the volunteers who will help to drive the member who needs help, will help with grocery shopping, or will visit the member.
Enhance Fitness
This program is run by our local YMCA and is open to all. This evidence-based exercise program is proven to increase strength, boost activity levels, and elevate mood. It meets three times a week. See www.rocklandymca.org/main/enhance-fitness/
Older Writers Laboratory (OWLs)
This group gathers once a week to write memoirs and personal essays. This group is currently at capacity.
Potluck Suppers
Some of our members like to gather at each other's homes to share a meal. Jane Berkowicz
Small Groups
For more information about any of Creative Aging in Nyack small groups, please contact Norma Wirkowski, our Small Group Coordinator. Here are a few of our small groups that might interest you. This page gets updated from time to time, so check with Norma to see if there are new ones.
Lunch Group
Up to ten people gather at a local restaurant to have lunch together. Contact Marie or Larry Thorpe.
Museum Trips
Members often share rides and good company to explore museums together. Recent trips have taken them to Hudson Yards, The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the Montclair Art Museum, and the Cloisters. One of our members who is an art historian often leads these trips, but anyone who wants to go to a museum with CAN members may initiate a museum visit. Contact our small group coordinator, Norma Wirkowski, for information about suggested protocols.
Walking Groups
We have a Tuesday group of fast walker, and a Wednesday group of strollers.
Book Group
Currently Mary Borkovitz and Honey Jacobs lead a book group that meeting every second Wednesday.
Care Specialists
This is a dedicated, trained group of members who have volunteered to step in to coordinate the support system needed when a member is injured or ill. They contact the volunteers who will help to drive the member who needs help, will help with grocery shopping, or will visit the member.
Enhance Fitness
This program is run by our local YMCA and is open to all. This evidence-based exercise program is proven to increase strength, boost activity levels, and elevate mood. It meets three times a week. See www.rocklandymca.org/main/enhance-fitness/
Older Writers Laboratory (OWLs)
This group gathers once a week to write memoirs and personal essays. This group is currently at capacity.
Potluck Suppers
Some of our members like to gather at each other's homes to share a meal. Jane Berkowicz
Small Groups
For more information about any of Creative Aging in Nyack small groups, please contact Norma Wirkowski, our Small Group Coordinator. Here are a few of our small groups that might interest you. This page gets updated from time to time, so check with Norma to see if there are new ones.
Lunch Group
Up to ten people gather at a local restaurant to have lunch together. Contact Marie or Larry Thorpe.
Museum Trips
Members often share rides and good company to explore museums together. Recent trips have taken them to Hudson Yards, The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the Montclair Art Museum, and the Cloisters. One of our members who is an art historian often leads these trips, but anyone who wants to go to a museum with CAN members may initiate a museum visit. Contact our small group coordinator, Norma Wirkowski, for information about suggested protocols.
Walking Groups
We have a Tuesday group of fast walker, and a Wednesday group of strollers.
Book Group
Currently Mary Borkovitz and Honey Jacobs lead a book group that meeting every second Wednesday.
Village to Village Network
Creative Aging in Nyack is a member of the Village to Village Network, a national organization of community groups dedicated to helping their members age in place among other members of a supportive community. This network formed in 2010, inspired by the first aging-in-place "village" that formed in Beacon Hill, Boston. There are now over 300 such "villages" throughout the United States and spreading into areas of the Pacific. Each village agrees to the following guidelines:
- Commit to helping their members age in a place of their choosing, closely connected to their communities and with the supports and tools they need to create successful aging of their own design
- Create opportunities for individuals to use their talents to improve Village impact and benefit the overall community
- Provide social activities that minimize isolation and promote interaction and trust within the Village community, between individuals who offer their help and those who ask for help when needed