Service To Help Seniors Launches In Park Slope, Surrounding Area

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A new service that connects seniors with workers to do small tasks around the house has launched in Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Heights.

"Umbrella" lets its members request help on projects such as changing a light bulb or cutting the grass. It then sends a worker out to do the tasks, hopefully allowing seniors to stay in their homes longer.

"Our customers are people who want to stay in their home, want to live in an intergenerational community like Park Slope, and either there are things they can’t do or don’t want to do," founder Sam Gerstenzang told Patch. "And we serve as a matchmaker."

Most of the workers are retirees, too, who either want to make a little bit of extra money or just give back to their community, Gerstenzang said.

He got the idea when his grandfather died, and his grandmother was living by herself in upstate New York. She found help through Umbrella of the Capital District, which was Gerstenzang's inspiration to bring it to Brooklyn.

An event last week held with Good Neighbors of Park Slope, a community of seniors in the neighborhood, drew more than 100 people.

Here's how it will work in Brooklyn, according to Gerstenzang.

Members will pay an annual fee for the service, dependent on the size and type of their home. They request a job either by phone or email, and a staffer connects them with a worker based on location and job experience.

Then each job costs $16 per hour. $3 goes to cover the cost of the platform and business, while the other $13 goes to the worker, who can donate any or all of it to subsidize memberships for low-income seniors.

He said tasks usually fall in three categories: Handy tasks, such as replacing a lightbulb or repainting a room; seasonal tasks such as installing an air conditioner or raking leaves; and domestic tasks such as cooking a meal or running errands.

The workers go through a screening process that includes and interview, background check and calls to references.

The service is live in Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Heights. Gerstenzang said he hopes to expand into other parts of Brooklyn, but wants to build a successful business in those neighborhoods first.

Anyone interested can go to AskUmbrella.com for more information or to sign up.

"We’re looking forward to being in Park slope and being another tool of the aging-in-place toolbox," he said. "We think it’s really important to allow seniors too stay in their homes. And this is a really affordable option for them to do that."

Image courtesy Umbrella