With NYC now in Phase 4, ASTORIA/QUEENS SHARE-ING and CARE-ING, INC. dba SHAREing & CAREing has announced that they have begun steps to re-open its office, located at 4502 Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens.
Since mid-March, SHAREing & CAREing’s office has been physically closed in compliance with the Governor’s Executive Order. Its staff, however, has continued to provide services and assistance to cancer survivors, their families and caregivers using its website, email and online and social media platforms.
According to SHAREing & CAREing’s Founder & President Anna Kril, “In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we have experienced an increased demand for professional mental health support services, including our individual and group counseling. To meet this demand, we have increased our provision of individual and group telemental health services. We have also been offering an additional weekly support group, at the request of—and to meet the ongoing needs of—our survivors.”
“In addition, we are offering sessions and workshops on anxiety, stress management, and loving and grieving. Our partners include the International High School for Health Sciences, Frank Sinatra High School and the Queens Public Library,” Ms. Kril added.
Recognizing that cancer survivors, especially those currently in treatment, are among the most physically vulnerable during this pandemic AND are at increased risk for mental illnesses including clinical depression, complicated grief, anxiety and PTSD, SHAREing & CAREing has focused much of its efforts on addressing the mental health needs of its community these past few months. According to SHAREing & CAREing’s Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Merryl Reichbach “Our members have lost loved ones to COVID-19, are worried about family members on the front lines, have experienced job loss, and have to cope with ongoing, indefinite self-quarantine and social isolation. Our group and individual counseling include evidence-based interventions geared to help our community reduce risk, isolation, anxiety, depression and trauma.”
With the expiration of the Governor’s Executive Order and NYC entering Phase 4, SHAREing & CAREing has re-opened its office in a limited way. While in-person appointments are not yet possible, phone assistance has resumed. According to SHAREing & CAREing’s Bilingual Spanish Navigator Rosa Sarmiento, “I will be staffing the office from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday, offering assistance in English and Spanish.”
“Until there is a vaccine or cure for COVID-19, the populations we serve will continue to need to self-isolate because of their high risk-status and suffer increased stress”, continued Ms. Sarmiento.
Concluded Ms. Kril, “Many in our community will continue to face unemployment and financial hardship AND will continue to need the help that SHAREing & CAREing can provide. With the support of the NYC Council and private funders, my staff and I are committed to working with our local hospitals – NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens & its Queens Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Queens – and our other partners to provide programming and services during these uncertain, and changing, times.”
If you or someone you know needs support, linkages to free or low cost cancer screenings or other cancer services, please contact SHAREing & CAREing at 718-777-5766.