Ellen Schwartz has been living in Co-op City, the Bronx, for 18 years, but since retiring in 2012 she has found new satisfaction by participating in the activities of a NORC.

NORCs, or naturally occurring retirement communities, are locales for organizing and delivering supportive services that help individuals remain in their own homes as they grow older.

Ellen participates in the programs of the Co-op City NORC established by JASA (Jewish Association Serving the Aging), a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York. In fact, UJA played a critical role in creating the innovative NORC model — which has now become part of the vernacular — in response to the challenge posed by New York’s graying demographics.

“I’m more than happy,” she says. “There are so many activities. And it’s right across the street.”

Among the activities Ellen enjoys in the NORC Community Room are line dancing, Zumba, and exercising. All of the classes are led by professional instructors who have a special affinity for engaging with older adults.

She is also a member of the Health Committee, which works to ensure that all NORC participants are aware of ways and means to develop good health habits. The committee recently organized a health fair, which provided blood pressure screenings and other preventative services to residents.

“I’ve made new friends and I’ve become better acquainted with people I already knew,” Ellen says. “I’m lucky.