At the close of 2009, Moravian Open Door received a second grant from the Guardian Life Insurance Affordable Grant Program to further the Life Skills Center program at MOD. With support from Guardian Life’s first grant, the Life Skills Center was completed in late Fall 2009-a bright room with four desktop computers and supporting equipment for classes in life skills. Clients have access to email and the internet; training in computer skills has begun. Classes in other life skills such as preparing for a job, financial literacy, and healthy living are planned.

There are exciting new developments at Moravian Open Door, the transitional housing program in Manhattan for homeless older adults… Read the entire article.

In early April, 2009, the Karpas Health Information Center ( a branch of Beth Israel Hospital) held a health fair at MOD, providing baseline health screening for all of MOD’s clients and staff, as well as some volunteers and members of the community. This free service was a first step in providing followup medical care for our clients with health issues.

On December 10, 2008, Schoeneck Moravian Church sent a special gift to MOD along with a team of enthusiastic volunteers to install it. It was a 9-foot lighted Christmas tree with all the trimmings, to replace the one lost in the flood of 2007. The beautiful tree graced the Common Room throughout the Advent and Christmas season. Read the entire article.

On March 14, 2009, a group from the Northeast Moravian Disaster Response held an all-day workshop on maintenance and repair for staff, some FEGS workers, and some clients at MOD. Several small repairs were made in the building, and the room for the life skills center was cleaned and painted. The NEMDR team is shown below.