80 years young, Boston Globe West, July 18, 2010

It wasn't long after her appointment as executive director of Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly in 1981 that Ellen Feingold of Brookline realized that her background of championing civil rights in Washington, D.C., would help in her role assisting the elderly.

"There was the same kind of stereotyping and generalizing - the elderly want this, the elderly need that - without making any distinction among this huge group of people with 60-plus years of life experience,'' Feingold said. "I was determined to try, within our community, to change the image of aging and the image of the elderly.''

After 28 years, 80-year-old Feingold will be stepping down next month from her leadership position at the nonprofit organization. Jewish Community Housing has been nationally recognized for its development and management of affordable housing for low-income seniors in Brighton and Newton.

Rather than the typical one-size-fits-all approach to assisted living, Feingold aspired to provide a menu of services from which seniors could choose. In addition to coordinating regular transportation to the local grocery store, a convenience store was established on-site to offer groceries and household goods. Residents are encouraged to participate in supervised strength training to improve muscle tone and balance. Intergenerational programs are offered through the Generations Together program to challenge the images of aging and youth.

While Feingold insists the organization will benefit from the creativity of a new leader, she said she will miss working toward the common goal of helping people remain in charge of their lives as they age gracefully.

"Being with this community of staff, volunteers, and residents has been exhilarating,'' she said, "but I've worked very hard. Retiring now is the right decision for me.''

The Ellen Feingold Fund for Resident Services has been established to preserve and enhance supportive services at JCHE. For more information, go to www.jche.org.