Selfhelp

Founded in 1936 by German-Jewish refugees under the name “Selfhelp for German Refugees,” Selfhelp Community Services has grown into one of the largest nonprofit providers of services for older adults in the New York metropolitan area. Today the organization supports more than 25,000 aging adults across New York City and Long Island through affordable housing, home care, and a wide range of community-based programs, including social activities, exercise classes, cultural programming, and lifelong learning workshops.

Selfhelp operates the oldest and largest Holocaust Survivor Program in North America, providing comprehensive, person-centered, trauma-informed care to thousands of survivors, including case management, home health care, housekeeping, financial management/guardianship, and social programming. This legacy of caring for Holocaust survivors continues to shape how Selfhelp serves every community it works with today, with an emphasis on cultural understanding and respect for personal history.

As a trusted advisor in aging services, Selfhelp partners with organizations such as UJA-Federation of New York, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and Jewish Federations of North America to sustain and expand its work. The organization operates senior centers, affordable housing residences, and community-based program sites throughout New York City and Long Island, serving older adults from all backgrounds.