ABOUT
RAICES
Our Mission
RAICES' mission is to respond to the unmet needs of the Latino, African-American, and low-income communities. It seeks to improve their quality of life through advocacy and the direct provision of targeted services with work across the generations and a particular emphasis on the needs of older adults.
Our History
The Spanish Speaking Elderly Council-RAICES is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in New York City.
RAICES was founded in 1978 by retired older adults who saw the need for an organization to provide services, educate, and organize the Latino, minority, and low-income aging community in the borough of Brooklyn.
RAICES developed an "ethnic ramp" concept to improve access to services for older adults of color. In this model, culturally and linguistically appropriate services are used as tools to improve access and increase the utilization of services for this community. RAICES operates eleven direct service sites, seven in Brooklyn and four in Queens. This includes nine older adult centers, a case assistance division, and a licensed outpatient behavioral health clinic – Brooklyn's first geriatric outpatient behavioral health clinic. The organization provides over 107,000 congregate breakfast and lunch meals per year. Across all sites, the organization offers over 3,250 participants a year with additional services such as health and wellness activities, case assistance and management, educational classes, individual and group psychotherapy, and psychiatric medication management assistance. All participants must be 60 years old and above to qualify for services except for the outpatient behavioral health clinic.
As a social service agency, RAICES recognizes the importance of applying innovative and creative strategies to keep culturally and linguistically relevant services in the community.
Our Equity and Inclusion Statement
We wholeheartedly accept our responsibility to advocate for members of our community who experience intersecting forms of marginalization and exclusion because of their identities as Black and Brown individuals.
Our Locations
RAICES sponsors nine congregate older adult centers, five in Brooklyn and four in Queens, New York. These centers provide critical nutritious meals, and health, educational, social, and recreational services to a diverse older adult population.