50 for 50: Bernard Kaufman

"I’m 91 years old, and I live in Forest Hills. After my wife passed in 2006, I struggled emotionally and financially. On a fixed income, there were nights I went to bed hungry, listening to my stomach rumble because I couldn’t afford enough food.

In 2013, I called my local assemblyman, who referred me to Queens Community House. The moment I spoke to Toolarie (then Director of the Forest Hills Older Adult Center), I knew I’d found the right place. She had real compassion. She made me feel like I had a family again.
When my health made it hard to get to the senior center, Toolarie helped me get onto Meals on Wheels, and my case manager David made sure I received home-delivered meals. Those meals were a godsend; they kept me from sliding back into a very difficult situation.

As I told David how isolated I’d become after losing my wife, family, and friends, he recommended QCH’s Friendly Visiting Program. That’s how I met Brian, a wonderful guy who lives right in the neighborhood. Just talking to someone again made all the difference.

I was even wearing a heart monitor one day when I decided, ‘what the hell, I’m going to go meet Brian anyway.’ After our visit, I felt 200 feet tall. When the doctor reviewed my monitor results, he told me my heart rate had jumped into a completely normal range. I call that a miracle — proof of what human connection can do.

QCH made me feel wanted again, like I belonged in the world. And I truly believe Toolarie saved my life."

—Bernard Kaufman