The NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community)
A Naturally Occurring Retirement Community is a geographic area where a large population of older adults live independently.
A NORC is not a planned community, rather a population that has aged in the same area over the years and is now facing a variety of challenges including access to transportation, maintaining minor home repairs, and staying connected in their community.
The NORC @ JFCS is a fee-based membership program for individuals 60 and over within the Northeast Philadelphia zip codes of 19111, 19114, 19115, 19116, 19149, and 19152. More than 65,000 of Philadelphia’s older adults live in this area. The NORC helps members live safely and sustainably in their own homes with supportive services and interventions.
The NORC member services include:
- Assessment: evaluate member needs so they can remain independent and safe in their homes.
- Care management: provide ongoing assistance to members, ensuring that necessary services and resources are in place.
- Transportation: provide members with door-to-door transportation for medical appointments and other necessary excursions.
- Home repair: provide members with minor home repairs and assess larger repair needs by connecting clients to resources in their communities.
- Volunteer opportunities: connect members with volunteer opportunities offered by JFCS.
- Volunteer service events to benefit members: provide members with multiple service days annually to assist them with tasks such as fall/spring clean-ups and various holiday-specific services (MLK Day and Thanksgiving).
- Uniper: keep older adults connected and active with this free, easy-to-use platform on their TV, computer, or tablet, that allows individuals to attend a schedule of interactive classes, watch recorded videos, and video chat with loved ones.
- Shopping Shuttle: provide older adults with round trip rides to a local supermarket through this bi-weekly service in select areas of Philadelphia.($25.00 annual fee/$10.00 fee per shopping trip)
The annual fee to join The NORC @ JFCS is $50 per individual or $80 per household of two or more people. To become a member, contact Liliana Barbour, NORC Care Manager, at 215.320.0351 ext. 1 or lbarbour@jfcsphilly.org.
To learn more or sign up specifically for Uniper, contact Kim Nissim, LCSW, Client Technology Coordinator, at 267.788.5025 or knissim@jfcsphilly.org.
Our Staff
Carly Bruski, LMSW, Program Officer, Holocaust Survivor Support & Older Adults
Brenda Edelman, LCSW, Director, Older Adults
Liliana Barbour, MPH, NORC Care Manager
Naadiya Muhammad, NORC Transportation & Volunteer Manager
Michael Priole, NORC Home Repairs Coordinator