The Friends Of Coler are a group of Roosevelt Island residents organizing to help the patients and staff of NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) Coler Facility during the Coronavirus pandemc.

According to the Friends Of Coler:

This Sunday, February 14th at 2:30 p.m. join us for our first “Walk n Wave”
event outside Coler Rehabilitation Nursing Care Center

Come outside in the winter sun to spread some Valentine’s cheer with our
friends. Wear some red or other bright warm colors. Show up and bring several
friends out for a walk

Kids both young and old join to wave ribbons or hold up a Coler sign Stay
safe. All will be masked and physically distant during this outdoor
walk.

We will send our friends inside Coler Nursing Care Center this message:

On Roosevelt Island and beyond, we are here for you all. We support each
of you ongoing and during this extended time without visits from your
families, friends, and other volunteers.

#nursinghomelivesmatter #friendsofcoler

#weallneedeachother #valentinescheer

This is a collaborative fun event for the residents – an example of our
wonderful RI community. All ages are welcome.

Angelica Patient Assistance Program
is working with Coler Rec Therapy to also provide a restaurant meal for
residents later this week. Cornell Tech donated snacks and many other friends
donated funds or treats.

We will have 13 gift boxes for all units (plus more donations that won’t fit
in the boxes!) Main Street Theater is loaning some little instruments to help
us spread some cheer as we walk. Haki Compost Collective,

iDig2Learn,

and other Facebook groups like Roosevelt Islanders Make Some Noise
are participating.

I read about other nursing facilities where kids were making snowmans outside
the windows so if people are interested…that sounds fun, too! Currently,
Friends of Coler is in conversation with the RI NYPL branch learning
how to get books that residents can check out down to Coler with a regular
system.

Inside Coler,
OpenDoorsNYC members
are letting residents know so that they can look out the windows. This collage
from one artistic resident friend shows their views and we hope to fill those
views up with smiling friends sending in support.

Supporting and thanking the hardworking Coler staff is included in our
messaging. It is our understanding that they have been receiving some meals
from Bloomberg funding. We have heard that Coler Auxiliary gave some new TV’s
for resident day rooms and is in the building ongoing in support of all.

It is a hard winter for so many and we hope to spread some cheer in the giving
and in the receiving. As my kids were growing up Valentine’s was celebrated as
friendship day at their school. The work and connections and learning I
experience with friends of Coler is definitely about new friendships!

Watch the latest trailer from the Fire Through Dry Grass documentary by Mr Molina and Alexis Neophytides showing the devastation inflicted upon our Roosevelt Island Coler residents by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Fire Through Dry Grass Trailer from The Big Chair on Vimeo.

If you would like to join Friends of Coler, send them an email.