Sunnyside Community Services has completed a state-of-the-art home health aide training facility at 52-41 Center Boulevard, a new high-rise residential building in Long Island City, Queens. Located within the Hunter’s Point mega-complex, the nonprofit’s new space is on the building’s second floor and occupies 7,700 square feet.
On-site facilities include a 1,350-square-foot training area with waterfront views of Manhattan, a flexible multipurpose room, a mix of open and enclosed offices and meeting rooms, a break room, and a reception area. Teachers and students will have access to an assortment of smart boards, laptops, and televisions, in addition to patient beds, lifts, and practice mannequins.
“The comprehensive social services offered by Sunnyside Community Services are invaluable,” said Jon McMillan, senior vice president of TF Cornerstone, developer of the residential tower. “As the organization continues to expand and help our neighbors who need it most, we’re excited to see Sunnyside open its doors at 52-41 Center Boulevard. Sunnyside’s new center will provide aid and assistance to the community at large, which in turn will result in the long-term growth and well-being of Long Island City.”
52-41 Center Boulevard. Photo by Michael Young
View of the Midtown skyline from Hunter’s Point. Photo by Michael Young
The space will primarily support the Caregiver Support and the Home Health Aide Training Program. Caregiver Support offers services to individuals who are caring for loved ones as they age or after the diagnosis of a serious illness or disability. The trainings will include respite services, long-term care planning, help with applications for Medicaid and other benefits, counseling, peer support groups, and educational workshops.
Offered in English and Spanish, the Home Health Aide Training Program prepares individuals, primarily immigrant women, to enter a career in the growing healthcare field. Participants in the program learn to help homebound adults with daily activities such as getting dressed, preparing meals, and going to appointments.
Those who complete the free four-week Home Health Aide Training Program will be certified by the New York State Department of Health as home health aides and will have access to employment opportunities through Sunnyside Citywide Home Care Services and Sunnyside Home Care Project, two Sunnyside Community Services-affiliated homecare agencies.
“The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted a growing, ongoing need for trained and qualified home health aides, who are essential to the health and well-being of countless New Yorkers,” said Empire State Development president, CEO, and commissioner Hope Knight. “Sunnyside Community Services’ new state-of-the-art training facility addresses that need, through a workforce development program that will lead to jobs and opportunity for those aiming to learn vital healthcare skills.”
Empire State Development supported the facility through a $750,000 capital grant, recommended by the New York City Regional Economic Development Council. The grant will also support training efforts for an estimated 577 new home health aides in the span of five years.
“The new center simply wouldn’t be possible without TF Cornerstone’s significant investment in the space,” said executive director of SCS Judy Zangwill. “They built an amazing home for our Home Health Aide Training Program and Caregiver Program.”
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I love our new Sunnyside