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What we do
WE TRANSFORM LIVES
Every day, all day, someone needs help. They rely on support from generous people like you. You will make a difference in their lives and it will make a difference in yours. We highlight just a few of those who need your help
HELPING IN EMERGENCY
COVID-19 - Today - it is about helping the elderly to stay at home!
96 year old woman needed groceries! We do not want her to be exposed - so bought and delivered. And now she is getting regular visits. She is becoming our monthly aid recipient.
HELPING THE ELDERLY
Our oldest beneficiary is a 91-year-old woman with stage 4 bedsores subsequent to her surgery. She was very weak and unable to move around. Nursing home provided her with minimal care and not the critical care she desperately needed. Her friend and Polish Assistance provided assistance for extra care. Her strong will to live is her story. Her progress is remarkable. A food samaritian helped to successfully transfer her to Poland to be with her family.
HELPING THE DISABLED
Stanislaw is 61 year old, lives in a shelter and can’t find a job due to his physical condition. He has been in the U.S. 31 years. He was asking for prothesis so he can walk without a support and be independent. Even getting to the doctor by bus is extremely painful. His application included 2 inches high medical records. Polish Assistance helped him to get prothesis and now is continiuing to support his quest for independence. Not a quick solution.
HELPING THE SICK
While undergoing chemo treatment for lung cancer, this woman had a bad reactionto the drugs. Her eyes shut and she required surgery. Because of the way she looks, people were staring at her, and she was too embarassed to walk outside. We helped. Unfortunately she lost her battle with cancer this month. Rest in Peace.
PROVIDING SUPPORT
Most of our beneficiaries have serious health issues. One of our most recent recipients has renal cell carcinoma of the right kidney. Another beneficiary has been in shelters for the homeless since 2012 and has a history of traumatic brain injury and seizure disorder. He is under psychiatric monitoring. A few dollars from Polish Assistance allow him to buy a few basic necessities..
HEALTHCARE
We help those who live in safety-net hospitals are New York City’s long term rehabilitation & nursing care centers and we have been providing aid to Polish residents for many years. $50 per month allows them to buy a much-needed personal items.
WARM MEALS
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Polish Assistance annually co-sponsor with Polish Slavic Federal Credit Union Annual Holiday Wigilia dinner for the elderly and homeless.
When reviewing requests for assistance, our primary considerations are financial hardship, age and poor health such as incurable or terminal illness.♦Each applicant goes through an initial review process and is re-approved annually. The official poverty guideline starts at $12,060 per person and $16,240 for a family of two. We sadly report that most applicants meet these criteria.♦Once an applicant becomes our beneficiary, we are usually committing often to his/her support for their remaining lifetime as most of our recipients have little chance for quality of life improvement. In most cases, these individuals are seniors with serious health issues that have no means of supporting themselves. We also provide aid to patients in a “long term acute care hospital”, the city’s safety-net provider of healthcare services.♦Emergencies happen. If the condition is temporary, we may give one-time assistance or for a very short time.
Our Focus
- Now more than ever, ethnic communities need help. It is not a political statement. It is just a tragic reality.
- We help the needy and desperate live out their lives in a foreign land with dignity.
- Our activities focus on the New York metropolitan area, with an increasing portion of the assistance requested and given to out-of-state individuals.
- Initially Polish Assistance supported those who came to the United States to escape communism. In Poland they had skills and they knew the language. In the U.S. they had to start all over again.
- Then we provided help to those who came here to escape the political and economic turmoil that communism created. Again, in Poland they had skills and they knew the language. In the U.S., many despite their education, performed physical labor. Some adjusted and some fell on hard times. They have no sense of belonging in the U.S. and they have no longer sense of belonging in Poland. Sadly, many families do not want the burden of the sick. Again, we help them live out their lives with dignity.
- Today, Polish skilled labor is sought after in the US. Technology today allows them to earn competitive salaries while living in Poland.