Meet Your Neighbor: Senta Baum

"My mother, Senta, is 105 years old.

She came to America from Germany at 13 after her family escaped Nazi Germany in 1934. She began working as a teenager, became a beautician, raised a family, and spent much of her life giving back. Even into her 90s, she volunteered at a nursing facility, visiting with residents and making friends with people who looked forward to seeing her.

She has always been social, determined and fiercely independent. Today, she still lives in her own home in Forest Hills. She does the dishes when she can, enjoys sitting outside or visiting with people in her building, and wants to do as much for herself as possible. At 105, that independence means a great deal to her.

Queens Community House’s Home Delivered Meals has helped make that possible. I visit once a week and shop for her breakfast and lunch, but knowing that she has a meal reliably delivered takes a real burden off of us. It’s one less thing she has to worry about and one more way she can continue living at home. As I often say, the service really makes a lot possible.

QCH has also become more than meals. Hyun Soo, our case manager, has been someone I can turn to when my mother needs additional support, including connecting us with resources to help with her declining vision. When I have a question, I know I can call.

It really does take a community to support someone as they age. Our family is very involved in my mother’s life, and she has wonderful neighbors and people looking out for her. QCH has become an important part of that community, too.

My mother spent her life doing anything she could for me. At this stage of her life, I tell her: now I’m giving back to you. And with a little support, she can keep doing what she has always been determined to do—live life on her own terms."

—Stan Baum