Elant invited to speak to Rotary International at United Nations

Idea to get the elderly active in their communities attracts notice GOSHEN — Representatives from Elant at Wappingers Falls, a not-for-profit nursing home, have been invited to speak at the annual Rotary International Day at the United Nations on Nov. 8 in New York City. Elant, which also operates a nursing home in Goshen, has been invited to speak to Rotary members from across the country about the first-ever Elderact Rotary service club in the United States. Elderact is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Wappingers Falls. Louise Quartuccio, director of social work, created the concept for an Elderact club while attending an Interact Rotary conference held in Connecticut in October 2007 with her son, Daniel Quartuccio. Interact clubs are comprised of high school students who do humanitarian and good will work in their local communities. Quartuccio’s idea for an Elderact club was to provide opportunities for Elant residents to volunteer and give back to their communities. Many of Elant’s residents were active in their communities before moving to the nursing home. Elant set out to foster the self-worth of their elderly residents by giving them a chance to give back to their hometowns. The Rotary Club of Wappingers agreed to share the vision of the program and Quartuccio’s idea for the Elderact club became a reality. The club’s motto became “Giving and Giving Again.” The Elderact club has already created a lemonade stand where residents raised money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity for childhood cancer. They have assembled gift baskets for the local battered women’s shelter during the holidays and created Valentine’s Day cards for the veterans at the Castle Point Veterans Administration Hospital. The club also made dog biscuits and took a trip to the local Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to present the treats. The club is now making bookmarks to give to the children of the Wappingers Play Group during its next visit to Elant at Wappingers Falls. Helen Reisler, Rotary International representative to the United Nations, attended the Rotary Club of Wappingers Falls’ official initiation ceremony of the Elderact Club on Aug. 27. Reisler was so impressed with the Elderact club’s mission and purpose, she invited Dana Diorio-Casey, Administrator at Elant at Wappingers Falls, and Louise Quartuccio to speak at Rotary International Day. Reisler had told members of the Elderact Club that, before her mother died, she asked her daughter to help the elderly. “The Elderact club has finally given me the opportunity to be part of an innovative program to assist the elderly in finding meaning and purpose in life through participation in community projects that help others,” Reisler said. During the Youth Program segment of the Rotary International Day, Diorio-Casey and Quartuccio will encourage student Interact Club members to collaborate with their local Rotary Clubs to help support the formation of Elderact Clubs in their communities. They believe the collaboration of Interact and Elderact clubs in cities and towns throughout the U.S. will cultivate intergenerational understanding and strengthen community efforts on a broader scale. “If we look beyond the limits of the elderly and realize that they have the desire and capability to give back to their communities, the experiences and results can be powerfully positive for all involved in this wonderful project,” Dana Diorio-Casey said. The Wappingers Falls Elderact Club is currently working on a collaborative project, Operation Santa, with the Semper Fi Parents of the Hudson Valley and the Interact Club of Ketchum High School. Operation Santa will provide holiday video cards and gifts to U.S. troops overseas.