Our Programs and ServicesHot breakfast and lunches are provided weekdays to an average of forty low income senior citizens (both residents of La Casa and non-residents - Los Tainos is open to the general public). Breakfast and hot lunches in which seniors work in rotating teams to prepare meals together, using donations of food from various sources, e.g. City Mission or area businesses, to feed the poor.Respite help to families of the disabled, in which volunteers do home visits for several hours; helping with household living tasks and other miscellaneous needs, e.g. grocery shopping. Peer counseling and advocacy in which experienced volunteers help with translations and assistance through the bureaucratic processes of obtaining medical, housing, food, transportation disability and income maintenance services. In partnership with the Catholic Dicocese, Los Tainos recently had constructed La Casa de Los Tainos, a 49 unit apartment building for low income senior citizens, thereby offering quality living conditions for indigent seniors. Management of the building has been contracted out to Delta Development, Inc., the housing development and management branch of the Diocese. Van transportation is provide to and from a) Doctor's offices; b) grocery shopping; c) dentists' appointments; d) business appointments; e.g. government offices such as Erie County Social Services; e) specil group field trips, e.g. cultural events, throughout the year; and f) to and from Los Tainos Senior Citizens for non-residents of La Casa de Los Tainos. ActivitiesLess formalized activities include recreation activities, cooking classes on the preparation of Puerto Rican foods for young Hispanics, music dance classes on Puerto Rican folk dances for Hispanic youth to provide them with a sense of their own cultural heritage. In addition, the seniors frequently serve as mentors to Hispanic youth.Los Tainos members also distribute Food Bank surplus foods throughout the year including Holidays. |
Mission Statement
Los Tainos' mission is to provide broad based services to low income senior citizens to improve their quality of life. Los Tainos is dedicated to preserving those traditional Hispanic values that strengthen community life: respeto (respect), love of community, group cooperation, friendliness, cultural pride in one's own culture, cross-cultural respect, the family, viewing children as the community's future, the home, responsibility to neighbors, love of Hispanic folkart and cuisine.
Los Tainos was formerly housed from 1991-1997 on the second floor of the Father Belle Community Center, 104 Maryland, located in the heart of the Hispanic community.
[ Read More ]
Contact Us
Los Tainos is located at 333 Trenton Ave., Buffalo, NY 14201. You can reach Los Tainos by phone at 716-842-0172.
Entity # 22-3256832. For more information or in-kind donations, please visit our Donate page.