Still Interviewing

Hi, everyone. We are still doing interviews! Please call us at 917-575-7158 or email Gallagher.Initiative@gmail.com if you or someone you know are interested in participating. We are interviewing participants in all five boroughs who are age 55 or over and are Irish or of Irish descent. 

About the Gallagher Initiative

The Gallagher Initiative

The Gallagher Initiative is a response to the outrage experienced by many Irish Americans when they learned of the death of Tony Gallagher, a 72-year-old Irishman from County Mayo who died alone at his home in Queens in December 2008 and whose body wasn’t discovered for over a week.

The purpose of the Gallagher Initiative is to learn about how aging Irish Americans are coping.  We want to learn about what health services, social services, or other services are needed and wanted.  We are especially interested in talking with older adults who are living alone or are isolated. The survey is being conducted by professors from Hunter College and Fordham University under the auspice of the Fund for the Advancement of Social Services.  If you volunteer to participate in this survey, you will be interviewed by a trained interviewer at a time and location that you choose.  The interview will be private and confidential.

You may participate in the survey if:

·       You or your parents or any of your grandparents were born in Ireland

·       You live in New York City (any of the five boroughs)

·       You are age 55 years or older

Whether you are in excellent health or poor health, working or retired, have recently immigrated or are second generation, we hope you will considering participating in the survey.

Participants will receive a FREE tote bag and resource pamphlets upon completion of the interview.

To learn more about the survey or if you or someone you know would like to participate in the survey, please call:  917-575-7158 or email Gallagher.initiative@gmail.com


 

We are still interviewing!

Hello, everyone. I hope you are all enjoying the summer. It has been very hot in New York City, but it seems to be getting just a little bit cooler these days. I just want to let you know that the Gallagher Initiative is still interviewing. If you have not participated, but would like to, please shoot us an e-mail or give us a call. If you have participated and know anyone who is eligible, tell them to call us!

We truly appreciate everyone who has participated, gotten the word out, and referred others to us. This could not be done without you. Please continue to support us!

Council Member Gale Brewer

We would like to thank Council Member Gale Brewer for including us in her newsletter this month (see below). If you read about us and are eligible, call us! We'd love to hear from you and capture your stories.

The Gallagher Initiative - The purpose of this survey, called “The Gallagher Initiative”, is to learn about how aging Irish Americans are coping.  What health services, social services, or other services are needed and wanted.  Which older adults who are living alone or are isolated. The survey is being conducted by professors from Hunter College and Fordham University under the auspice of the Fund for the Advancement of Social Services.  If you volunteer to participate in this survey, you will be interviewed by a trained interviewer at a time and location that you choose.  The interview will be private and confidential. You may participate in the survey if:

·         You or your parents or any of your grandparents were born in Ireland

·         You live in New York City (any of the five boroughs)

·         You are age 55 years or older

Whether you are in excellent health or poor health, working or retired, have recently immigrated or are second generation, you can participate in the survey. Participants will receive a FREE tote bag and resource pamphlets upon completion of the interview. You can contact us at 917-575-7158 or email Gallagher.initiative@gmail.com or visit: GallagherInitiative.blogspot.com

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the interview private and confidential?
Yes. The only people who see the interview are the researchers of the project.

2. Where is the interview done?
The interview can be done at a place of your choosing. Many participants prefer to have the interview done in their homes because it is more convenient for them. Others have done interviews in public places such as cafes, restaurants or senior citizen centers.

3. Who does the interview?
We have a team of well-qualified and trained interviewers. They are assigned to cases and call a participant to set up the interview shortly after we receive contact information from the participant.

4. How long does an interview take?
The interviews generally last an hour. However, depending on how much a participant wants to share it can be longer or shorter.

5. What type of information is asked in the interview?
The purpose of the survey is to determine what needs the elderly Irish/Irish American population have and which are not being met. To that end, the interviewer will gather some background information (i.e. age, gender, when did you or your parents move to the U.S.), ask about services that you receive, and services you would like to receive. It is beneficial to the study and the community to answer these questions as they provide us with a better idea of what needs to be done. However, if there is any question you do not wish to answer, you do not have to.

Gallagher Goes to Ireland

The Director of the Gallagher Initiative, Dr. Elaine Walsh, recently visited Ireland where she did many interviews with radio and newspaper reporters. Below is a link to the article written about the project on the BBC website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18132374

State Senator Liz Krueger

We have gotten some more coverage lately. State Senator Liz Krueger has featured us in her newsletter and website. Check us out on her website:

http://www.manhattancc.org/common/News/articles/detail.cfm?QID=8974&classification=news&topicID=0&clientID=11001&subnav=news

The New York Daily News also ran a story on us this past Monday. Below is the link.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/program-inspired-lonely-death-elderly-irishman-expands-older-irish-americans-citywide-article-1.1032107

Did you see us on Fox News?

Yesterday Fox News called and asked us if they could do a piece on the Gallagher Initiative. Later that evening a segment aired on the evening news. If you missed it, click on the link below to watch:

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/the-gallagher-initiative-20120305

Thank you Ms. Smith and Riverdale Senior Center for your participation.

Gallagher Initiative in the Media

Below are links to stories published about the Gallagher Initiative in The New York Times, the Daily News, the Irish Central and more.


The New York Times

NY Daily News

Irish Central

Irish Echo

Irish Times

CBS New York

Gallagher Initiative Background Information

Gallagher Initiative

FIRST RESEARCH STUDY OF OLDER IRISH IN THE U.S.

The first research study of the needs of older Irish people in the U.S. was launched in Long Island City, Queens last year.  The project has now been expanded to all the boroughs. The Gallagher Initiative, as the study is known, was initiated by The Fund for the Advancement of Social Services through the office of Senator Charles J. Schumer and City Councilwoman Christine Quinn. The project is a response to the outrage experienced by many Irish Americans when they learned of the death of Tony Gallagher, a 72-year-old Irishman from County Mayo who died alone at his home in Queens in December 2008 and whose body wasn’t discovered for over a week.

The purpose of the Gallagher Initiative is to learn about how aging Irish Americans are coping.  We want to learn about what health services, social services, or other services are needed and wanted.  We are especially interested in talking with older adults who are living alone or are isolated. The survey is being conducted by professors from Hunter College and Fordham University under the auspice of the Fund for the Advancement of Social Services.  If you volunteer to participate in this survey, you will be interviewed by a trained interviewer at a time and location that you choose.  The interview will be private and confidential.

You may participate in the survey if:

·       You or your parents or any of your grandparents were born in Ireland

·       You live in New York City

·       You are age 55 years or older

Whether you are in excellent health or poor health, working or retired, have recently immigrated or are second generation, we hope you will considering participating in the survey.

Participants will receive a FREE tote bag and resource pamphlets upon completion of the interview.

To learn more about the survey or if you or someone you know would like to participate in the survey, please call:  917-575-7158 or email Gallagher.initiative@gmail.com