Opinion

Denise Gelberg: Gadabout gets us where we need to go!

By Marjorie Z. Olds

Thirty-eight years ago, Denise Gelberg was on maternity leave from her teaching job at Northeast Elementary School. She had been hearing engaging ads on the radio recruiting volunteer drivers to transport people who could not reach essential appointments due to disability or plenty of other obstacles. A friend approached her to see if she could commit a few hours every other Monday…

“My eight-month-old loved staying each Monday afternoon with one of her two beloved grandmothers. For four hours a week I could go wherever someone who had contacted Gadabout needed a ride. Founder and director, Judy Willis, had lined up three buses and every Monday, along with Lenny Nissenson, then director of Cornell’s Gannett Clinic, I would drive. On every route I met interesting people,” Denise said. “My oldest rider

was 99-and-a-half and my youngest was a college student at Cornell who got around campus in a motorized wheelchair. The other drivers and the office staff were all terrific. I became a Gadabout fan for life. I understood another volunteer driver’s sentiments entirely when he said, ‘This is the lowest paying and most rewarding job I’ve ever had.’” “Sometimes I would take Ithacare (now Longview) residents out on bus explorations,” Denise said. “I asked Lenny, where Denise Gelberg should I drive? He advised: ‘Anywhere. The riders enjoy every destination. Best of all, they enjoy when you get lost...And then you can radio in and get help finding your way back.’” Denise added: “Growing up in NYC, my father only learned to drive when he continued on page 7

Alternative Giving

By Stephen Burke

The comic philosopher Linus Van Pelt famously said “I love mankind, it’s people I can’t stand,” and it’s easy to have a similarly conflicted feeling about holiday gifts.

Everyone loves giving and (let’s be honest) getting, but the commercialization and sometimes overwhelming materialism of the season can block out the joy and true meaning.

A remedy is the idea of alternative giving, where you make a donation in someone’s name to a charity or community organization that fits their values.

An Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair was held both live and online in November. As December arrives, the organizations involved are still available for alternative giving at their individual sites online.

A roster of the groups that participated in the fair can be found at ithacaalternativegiftfair.wordpress.com., under “Virtual Portal.”

The organizations can loosely be listed as working within categories of the arts and sciences, the environment, food, health, housing, and social services. Here are examples of each.

The arts: The Community Arts Partnership supports the arts in Tompkins County with programs such as the Greater Ithaca Art Trail, the Ithaca Artist Market, and the Spring Writes Literary Festival. CAP makes grants to arts events, individual artists, and art programs in schools.

Science: Free Science, Inc. serves “historically marginalized and underserved low-income youth” with science workshops, field trips, and a one-of-a-kind Physics Bus.

Environment: Discover Cayuga Lake has programs and in-season boat cruises “to engage students, community members and visitors in learning about the ecology and history of Cayuga Lake and its watershed, and to inspire people to maintain these healthy environments for future generations.”

Food: The Friendship Donations Network was started in 1988 by Ithaca resident Sara Pines as a solo project. It has grown into a nexus of food redistribution from supermarkets, stores, eateries, and farms to food pantries and programs serving scores of partner sites and organizations.

One such partner, No Mas Lagrimas, was started recently by Ana Ortiz in an open air space and structure on W. Buffalo and Fulton Streets. The organization supplies free food, health items, baby supplies, and cleaning supplies. This year it made a big leap forward, moving to the Henry St. John Building on S. Geneva and W. Clinton Streets. Donations will help the group continue its work in its new home in the downtown/Southside community.

Health: The Cancer Resource Center provides support for people living with and affected by cancer. From its homelike headquarters on W. State Street it coordinates wellness classes, support groups, individual support, and access to information and resources. Its services are free of charge.

The Ithaca Health Alliance/Ithaca Free Clinic provides primary medical and holistic care in a facility on W. Seneca Street, free of charge.

Housing: Love Living at Home aids older adults who want to remain in their homes. The group helps with access to home maintenance, transportation, food, and personal well-being.

Social services: Family and Children’s Services provides counseling for children, teens, adults, older adults and caregivers. An outreach program works throughout the city, focusing on public places, for individuals showing signs of distress.

Ithaca Welcomes Immigrants was founded in 2015 in response to global refugee crises “to continue the development of Ithaca as a welcoming host community” to refugees and immigrants. It provides basic needs support, emergency aid, community orientation, and other services.

Catholic Charities has programs to “support all people in need” and “advocate for justice and human dignity.” It provides emergency financial assistance, transitional housing, and immigrant services. Its Samaritan Center on W. Buffalo Street has free clothing and personal care items.

Laurie Konwinski of Catholic Charities, a past spokesperson for the alternative gift effort, succinctly describes the effort’s focus and offerings for the holiday season as “less stuff, more love.”

She provides examples: “Say you have a neighbor who helps you. Or a kid’s teacher who is just a hero.” Physical gifts might be awkward. Similarly, for family members, they might be superfluous. (Don’t Mom and Dad always say “We don’t need anything”?)

But being the inspiration for help for others is a real gift, meaningful for anyone. Alternative giving makes it real.