Write a commentiHeart Oswego hits the road to celebrate community-building efforts on Syracuse’s North Side.
The James family is a huge community force in Fayetteville and Syracuse’s North Side.
On Friday, they cut the ribbon on Sai Sewa, an innovative community center aimed at reducing isolation and building community among seniors in Syracuse and the surrounding areas. Unlike other area senior centers, this social care facility offers culturally-supportive programming for immigrant communities, with services in English, Spanish, Nepali, and other languages.
In addition to dedicated classes and areas for painting, exercising, and cooking, the facility includes multiple spaces for praying and faith-based gatherings. “Some religions have to bring in specific idols,” my volunteer tour guide Jonathan explained, “and they have specific rules about where those idols can be. So, our spaces are designed to accommodate many different faiths and their rules.”
The goal isn’t just to offer senior citizens a place to gather; it’s to give them purpose and community. Syracuse Common Councilor At-Large Rita Paniagua spoke at the grand opening event and noted her own elderly parents’ struggle in moving to Syracuse from Puerto Rico after a hurricane. “It’s all about … giving these seniors purpose to keep them living. This is the kind of environment and kinds of business and activities that they find that in.”
Syracuse City Councilor At-Large Dr. Chol Majok agreed. “What a wonderful business here on the North Side,” he began, before relating a story that compared aging in the US, in CNY, with aging in Central Africa. “Years ago, I had a senior person from the country of my birth [tell] me America is not a place for old people; it’s a place for working. From the lens of an immigrant person, services for that population… are so limited.”
It's incredible to see supports for elderly that take into account those who are already isolated by what languages they speak and/or the cultural barriers associated with immigration—something no one else in upstate New York is currently providing. This is community-building at its finest, aimed at deepening community ties and building lasting friendships among seniors who are struggling to find their purpose.
“We’re proud to open a social adult day care where every senior can feel seen, valued, and supported,” said Zeeshan James, Managing Partner, in a press release from the center. “This is not just a care space—it’s a hub for cultural celebration, community building, and joyful aging.”
Joy, connection, and gratitude are precisely what the carers and volunteers emanate. “This is the reason why you are all here, because we care to maintain a relationship with you all,” Suniya James told attendees warmly at the center’s grand opening. In addition to being heavily involved in the center’s day-to-day operations as a volunteer (and wife of Managing Partner Zeeshan), James is the Assistant Director of Resettlement Programs at RISE and incredibly knowledgeable about the challenges facing the immigrant community. “Even though you see myself and Zeeshan here, serving this community, this mission is broader; Zeeshan has had this in his heart for a long time, and God has worked his miracle.”
We at iHeart Oswego would love to see this kind of social care model spread across the region and across the US.
Keep doing the fantastic work of building community and bringing our elderly and immigrant populations out of isolation. Thank you for all you do!
