CommunityWire: RAVENSWOOD GENERATING STATION “SEW” GENEROUSLY RENEWS FUNDING FOR SEWING CENTER USED BY ROOSEVELT ISLAND SENIOR CITIZENS

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Thanks to generous funding from Ravenswood Generating Station, older New Yorkers who attend the ever-popular sewing classes at the Carter Burden Network Roosevelt Island Senior Center will keep on stitching for another year – creating beautifully crafted clothing, quilts, dolls and holiday ornaments.
This year’s grant follows on the heels of previous funding in 2018 from Ravenswood Generating Station that transformed and modernized an underutilized space at the Senior Center into a new state-of-the-art sewing studio fully outfitted with eight sewing machines and all the necessary accessories including thread, seam rippers, needles, pins, bobbins, scissors, storage, and tape measures.

Sewing teaching artists, supported by the grants from Ravenswood Generating Station, teach seniors of all skill levels from the fundamentals to advanced sewing and provide a well-supplied workspace for more experienced sewers to work independently.
William J. Dionne, Executive Director of the Carter Burden Network, said, “Over the past year our older neighbors on Roosevelt Island have been learning and honing their sewing skills in an absolutely gorgeous space, while making important social connections, all thanks to Ravenswood Generating Station. The availability of classes like this is vital to the well-being of our seniors. I’d like to thank Ravenswood Generating Station for understanding the value of this program and for their investment in the Carter Burden Network and those we serve.”

In the year since the sewing center opened, seniors have not only mended, hemmed, let out and taken in clothing, they have also made dresses, skirts, pants, aprons, pillow cases, and table runners. In addition, quilts have been made as gifts and raffle prizes.

“I am so thrilled to hear about the impact our grants are making in the lives of our seniors,” said Simar Gill, Human Performance Engineer, Business Operations, Ravenswood Generating Station. “We are so proud, once again, to provide funding for the sewing center. And I look forward to seeing the beautifully-crafted pieces created here.”
A leader in aging services, the Carter Burden Network promotes the well-being of seniors 60 and older through a continuum of services, advocacy, arts and culture, health and wellness, and volunteer programs, all oriented to individual, family and community needs in New York City. The Carter Burden Network Roosevelt Island Senior Center is one of four NYC-based senior centers in the Carter Burden Network (CBN). CBN is partially funded by the NYC Department for the Aging.

ABOUT THE CARTER BURDEN NETWORK: Carter Burden Network promotes the well-being of seniors 60 and older through a continuum of services, advocacy, arts and culture, health and wellness, and volunteer programs, all oriented to individual, family and community needs. The organization is dedicated to supporting the efforts of older people to live safely and with dignity. As a leader in aging services in NYC, the Carter Burden Network welcomes seniors to participate in programs and attend centers offering vital resources, including social services to access benefits, that support independence and provide opportunities to form connections that enrich their lives. Carter Burden Network provides programs that nourish body, mind and spirit of vulnerable NYC seniors. CBN’s programs and services are partially funded by the NYC Department for the Aging.