Give Back Requirement for the Tree of Life Grant
Kendall Messick, May 2004

Elaine Swann is an 85-year-old senior citizen living in subsidized housing on 42nd Street in New York, NY.  Elaine has lived in New York supporting herself as an actress, commercial model and comedic cabaret singer since 1955.  With no children or living blood relatives, Elaine has been confronted with several challenges in the recent year that would have proven daunting had she been forced to navigate them without assistance.

The first challenge was completion of the re-certification paperwork that the New York Housing Authority requires in order for Elaine to maintain her subsidized housing.  This paperwork requirement is quite extensive including a complete itemization of assets, income, expenses, taxes, insurance and healthcare costs. In the past, an accountant had assisted Elaine with this highly bureaucratic and time-consuming process.  However, the accountant left New York without a forwarding address leaving Elaine highly anxious and confused.

I assisted Elaine in pulling together all the required documentation and in the completion of the re-certification paperwork for 2003/2004.  In addition, I communicated with her landlord as liaison and made myself available to answer any questions and to obtain additional information upon request. In the process, I also pulled together all of the information for Elaine’s 2003 tax preparation and sent it to a local CPA for preparation prior to April 15, 2004.

The second challenge that Elaine faced was possible eviction from her apartment due to a failed inspection by her landlord in January 2004. Annual inspections of all apartments in Elaine’s complex are required to ensure there are no fire hazards and that all passageways are clear in the event of an emergency. Like many seniors, Elaine has collected a large number of possessions over her lifetime and she has not routinely thrown out or given away.  This resulted in an apartment that was extremely cluttered and her building management believed that it was a case of hoarding.

I contacted Elaine’s landlord and committed to assist her in cleaning her apartment and getting rid of detritus. In addition I agreed to be present for the re-inspection once the apartment had been cleaned to ensure that any additional requirements were met.  On May 14, 2004 after two re-inspections and many hours of cleaning, organizing and eliminating, Elaine’s apartment was approved by building management 

My assistance to Elaine over the past seven months has reduced her anxiety and stress level and added to her overall quality of life as a senior citizen.

Kendall Messick
May, 2004