Compassionate, Trusted, Innovative
For 90 Years.
We believe everyone deserves care that respects their life experiences. For 90 years, Selfhelp has turned that belief into action, helping older adults live with dignity, independence, and connection.
Our approach is rooted in our longstanding work with Holocaust survivors and continues to guide how we serve communities across New York today.
OUR LEGACY
Ninety years ago, Selfhelp was founded to help people rebuild their lives after unimaginable loss. Refugees fleeing Nazi persecution arrived in New York searching for safety, stability, and hope. Selfhelp helped provide all three. That same spirit continues to guide us today.
Many live on limited incomes and face the challenges of aging without family support. For them, Selfhelp remains what it has always been: a trusted source of care, dignity, and connection.
OUR MISSION & VALUES
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.
We appreciate and include the individual strengths of everyone in our community, meeting them where they are. Each person’s lived experience makes us stronger collaborators, and more attuned to other perspectives that ultimately help us better serve our mission.
We guard the independence of and enrich the quality of life for New Yorkers by thinking big. We leverage our time-tested expertise to boldly try new, innovative solutions that meet the ever-changing needs of our community.
We approach everyone in our community with empathy, respect, and compassion. We believe healthier communities are built on the care we give to each other.
Trust is the foundation of all that we do. We approach each other, and our community, with integrity and honesty, furthering the reach of this trust with each action we take every day.
We provide the highest quality care to our clients with time-tested efficiency and expertise, but we do so while holding the dignity of those we serve in the highest regard.
Aging with Dignity Starts Here
With offices across New York City and Long Island, there’s always a Selfhelp social worker within reach.
Click Play Button on the map below or click here to read and hear stories from the Selfhelp community.
90 Years of Selfhelp
Selfhelp for German Refugees was founded on November 10, 1936, by a small group of German emigres who wanted to support immigrants who, like them, were arriving in New York City having fled Nazi-occupied Europe.
During WWII, Selfhelp focused on helping European refugees find work, housing, and community. Early job training programs caring for the elderly lead to the formation of Selfhelp’s Homemaker and Home Nursing programs, the precursors of our Home Care Aide Training.
Through the latter half of the 20th century, Selfhelp quickly expanded to provide affordable housing and home care services for older New Yorkers from all communities.
1964: Selfhelp built its first apartment building in Flushing, Queens, which housed 200 Holocaust survivors in the first state aided project to be built in New York by a non-profit organization with on-site social services.
1969: after several name changes, our leadership landed on Selfhelp Community Services, Inc. to reflect the organization’s comprehensive network of community-based services.
Programs were expanded to reach new Holocaust survivors in Washington Heights and Queens as well as Selfhelp’s first senior center in Queens. In the later years there would be additional offices serving survivors in Brooklyn, Nassau County, and the Bronx and 4 additional Selfhelp senior centers would open in Queens.
Our Holocaust survivor program significantly expanded, supporting Russian-Speaking Holocaust survivors, in Brooklyn.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic reached New York, largely affecting marginalized populations, including gay men, intravenous drug users, and Black and Latino Americans. Selfhelp’s expert home care services expanded to care for people with HIV/AIDS, supporting them through AIDS-related complications.
1983: Selfhelp became a member agency of UJA-Federation of New York, enabling us to undertake new and exciting program initiatives.
Selfhelp establishes Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), positioning us as a leader in human services.
1993: The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany provided funding and over time, the Claims Conference became Selfhelp’s most significant funder of our Holocaust survivor program, making additional vital services possible.
1995: Selfhelp established a Certified Home Health Agency to provide a full spectrum of home care services to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
2002: continuing our building boom of the 70s, 80s and 90s, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Apartments, our sixth residence, is opened in Flushing.
2003: Senior Source, a new private-pay geriatric care management program is initiated.
2005: aging services technology, including Computer Learning Centers, sensor technology, telehealth and brain fitness programs are introduced in our residences and among our home care clients.
2008: the Selfhelp Community Services Foundation is founded to raise, manage and steward philanthropic funds to support the work of Selfhelp Community Services. Toward this end, Project Legacy, an ambitious initiative is launched to secure funding for the last generation of Holocaust survivors. Selfhelp opens its second Brooklyn site in Kensington to provide much-needed services to the growing number of Holocaust survivors requesting assistance.
2009: Selfhelp publishes “Sixty-Five Years after Liberation: Holocaust Survivors in New York Today through 2025,” a demographic analysis of the existing population of Holocaust survivors in New York. The study projects the numbers and needs of survivors through the year 2025.
2010: Selfhelp launches its internationally acclaimed Virtual Senior Center in collaboration with Microsoft, the NYC Department for the Aging and the NYC Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications. This transformational program now serves 275 seniors in six locations.
2011: Selfhelp commemorates its 75th year of service. Among the many events held was Selfhelp’s Fourth International Conference for Professionals Working with Holocaust Survivors.
2012: Selfhelp brings Witness Theater to New York, partnering with the Yeshivah of Flatbush High School. An innovative and emotional, full-year “journey” for Holocaust survivors and high school students, Witness Theater began in Israel by JDC-Eshel. Today five schools are participating with 11 performances and a live internet stream.
2013: in collaboration with UJA-Federation and the Defiant Requiem Foundation, Selfhelp participated in bringing The Defiant Requiem–Verdi at Terezín to Lincoln Center to raise funds and awareness for New York’s Holocaust survivors in need. So successful was this event, that an encore performance took place in March, 2015. Selfhelp expands its affordable housing portfolio to Long Island through an affiliation with the Kimmel Housing Development Foundation. Two affordable housing developments, as well as three Selfhelp programs are housed at the Westbury site.
2014: Selfhelp opens its seventh affordable housing residence, featuring innovative aging services technology, a recreational green roof and an on-site health and wellness facility.
2015: unprecedented new funding from the NY City Council and the Federal Government is awarded to support the needs of Holocaust survivors. Selfhelp is a primary beneficiary. Selfhelp’s Housing with Services model is internationally recognized. CEO Stuart C. Kaplan addresses the International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging’s International Conference in Australia.
2016: Selfhelp marks its 80th year of service by opening its tenth affordable housing residence, hosting two professional conferences, and forming a Chinese Advisory Council to raise awareness of our programs serving Chinese elders. As the largest provider of comprehensive services to Holocaust survivors in North America, we remain true to our mission of serving as “the last surviving relative to our historic constituency.” Our broad spectrum of programs now serves 20,000 older adults throughout New York City and Nassau County.
2017: A year-long project, to collect clients’ stories of living in World War II’s Shanghai Ghetto, culminates in a remarkable evening where Holocaust survivors and Chinese clients come together. We complete a research study demonstrating that clients in affordable housing spend less time in the hospital than people of similar ages in the same zip codes. Armed with this and other evidence, we begin exploring relationships with healthcare partners, and obtain state funding to develop a new technology infrastructure that can demonstrate the impact of our services on client health.
2018: Selfhelp’s broad spectrum of programs now serves more than 25,000 older adults throughout New York City and Nassau County. Our eleventh affordable housing residence opens in Brooklyn. Five more new construction projects are in the pipeline, including two in collaboration with noted architect Daniel Liebeskind. The award-winning filmmaker Oren Rudavsky is completing a year-long documentary of Witness Theater. We receive state funding for a major expansion of our training program for home health aides.
Selfhelp History Book: The Last Surviving Relative
Since 1936, Selfhelp Community Services has been a beacon of support for vulnerable New Yorkers. Founded by German émigrés to aid refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, Selfhelp has grown into a leader in compassionate, community-based care.
From pioneering affordable housing for older adults to supporting Holocaust survivors and immigrants, Selfhelp has consistently adapted to meet the evolving needs of the city. Innovations like the Virtual Senior Center and “aging in place” programs have redefined independence for aging populations.
Guided by a legacy of resilience and visionaries like Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Muhammad Ali, Selfhelp continues to honor its past while innovating for the future—serving over 25,000 individuals annually with dignity and care.
The book highlights several notable individuals connected to Selfhelp Community Services, Inc., either through their contributions, leadership, or support. Here are some of the key figures:
Founders and Early Supporters:
- Paul Tillich: Christian theologian and Selfhelp’s first president.
- Albert Einstein: Renowned physicist, associated with the organization’s early efforts.
- Hans and Else Staudinger: Founders who played a pivotal role in establishing Selfhelp.
- Eleanor Roosevelt: Former First Lady, connected to the organization’s mission.
Leaders and Visionaries:
- Fred Weissman: Selfhelp’s first professional director, who advocated for older adults to live independently at home.
- Kurt Herz: Succeeded Weissman and expanded Selfhelp’s focus on serving older adults.
- Lawrence Matloff: Brought the community center spirit to Selfhelp and established senior centers.
- Richard Aronson: Led Selfhelp’s response to the AIDS epidemic and expanded its community services.
- Stuart C. Kaplan: Current CEO, recognized for driving the exponential growth of Selfhelp’s services.
Architects and Designers:
- Daniel Libeskind: Renowned architect, involved in Selfhelp’s housing initiatives.
Advocates and Contributors:
- Gabriele Schiff: Early advocate who emphasized Selfhelp’s mission to address unmet needs.
- Michael Bloomberg: Former NYC Mayor, acknowledged for his support of Selfhelp’s initiatives.
- Muhammad Ali. In 1976, he personally provided significant funds to save Selfhelp’s Hillside Aged Program (HAP) in Washington Heights. This program, which offered transportation, meals, and activities for physically handicapped older adults, was at risk of closing due to a loss of funding. After seeing a television news program about its imminent closure, Muhammad Ali stepped in to ensure its continuation.
These individuals, among others, have significantly shaped Selfhelp’s history and its impact on vulnerable populations.
Honoring our past.
Caring for people today.
Thinking Big about what comes next.
Publications
