About Encore

Message from Executive Director

As New Yorkers Age, Encore Doubles Down on its Mission.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I’m writing to share some information that is relevant to everyone that supports Encore.

Encore was founded over 40 years ago with the intent to improve the lives of older New Yorkers in the Times Square area. In the ensuing time, Encore has grown beyond anyone’s wildest imagination of what a scrappy organization run out of a former chapel could be. Last year alone, Encore provided about 400,000 meals to seniors from 14th street to 110th street on Manhattan’s West side, as well as operating two senior residences and a senior center in the Times Square area.

We are proud of the work Encore has done in the past and how many lives we’ve been able to improve; one meal or social interaction at a time.

BUT, OUR WORK HAS JUST BEGUN!

Increasingly public health research is indicating that the magnitude of health risks posed by social isolation is similar to those of cigarette smoking and is greater than the risks posed by physical inactivity and obesity. Currently there are 1.5 million adults aged 60 and over in New York City, accounting for 18.2 percent of the City’s population. *By 2030, it’s estimated that adults age 65 and older will outnumber school age children. As these elderly individuals age-in-place, they often become increasingly at-risk for social isolation which, in turn, can lead to a host of issues, including loneliness, depression and mental deterioration.

Encore is keenly aware of the changing demographics of New York City and is committed to proactively facing the challenge of social isolation as we evolve with the times and needs of our communities. As the elderly population grows in New York City we are redoubling our efforts to improve the lives of older New Yorkers for the next 40 years and beyond.

To achieve that goal, we’re aiming to expand our social services programming, which will allow us to provide more case management, more companionship and more exciting programs that engage seniors. On the housing front, we’re putting in place better coordination of services and actively seeking capital enhancements and improvements for both Encore 49 and Encore West residences.

We’re grateful to have you on this journey with us and as always you can check out ways to get involved and donate on our website. or reach out to us directly

As a first exciting step in our next chapter we’d like to introduce our new logo. You’ll be seeing it in more places as we roll out updates to our print materials and website.

Mission Statement

The mission of Encore Community Services is to provide care and service to the elderly of the Clinton/Times Square/Midtown communities, and to any elderly person who comes to us; to assist those who are vulnerable and frail, poor and homeless, homebound and lonely, frequently desperate, most often ignored; to help them with their daily needs that they might live as independently as possible, with dignity and decency, in a non-institutional manner, in a safe and caring environment. We believe we are all part of the human family and have an obligation to love one another. By nurturing, respecting and enabling, Encore hopes to improve the quality of an older person’s life, in an approach that emanates from the core of Encore’s commitment: we believe that what we do comes from the heart, and the heart is the center of all.