As the home of Broadway and the setting for umpteen movies and television series, New York City employs tens of thousands of people in the performing arts and entertainment industries. When they reach the end of their careers and need some extra help with the activities of daily living, 1199 members are there to look after them.

The Actors Fund Home in Englewood, NJ, is a senior residence owned and operated by the Entertainment Community Fund. The 1199 Magazine recently caught up with some of the Union members who look after the people who have dedicated a major portion of their professional lives to entertainment and the performing arts. The members described how many of these retired professionals are still enriching the lives of those around them with their performances.

1. Even though she went from Lead Cook to Kitchen Supervisor two years ago, January Young was determined to remain in the Union. “I came from another nursing home nearby, which was not unionized, and they suddenly wanted to cut my hours,” she says. “The difference in atmosphere here at the Actors Fund Home is like night and day.”

In her new role, she is able to be an effective liaison between the kitchen director and her fellow Union employees. “It was important for me to stay in the Union because whenever there’s an issue, we know that our organizers will answer our call. Someone from 1199 comes here every month to explain our benefits and bring us some new swag,” Young adds.

“The standard of food here is very high,” she says. “We use top of the line ingredients like filet mignon and lobster tail and it’s rewarding for me to work with such quality items. I get many compliments from residents telling me that they are gaining weight. Family members also tell me that their Mom ate another day because of the food prepared. Presentation is so important. People eat with their eyes. Its great to know that what I do can help the residents get stronger.”

Young says that one of the residents she cooks for was the voice behind classic Sesame Street characters, including Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.

“I’m a single mom and my 11-year-old watched Sesame Street as a kid. Just like me,” she says. “I remember it well. Now my son goes to school and tells his friends that his mom talks to the Cookie Monster.

2. Patricia Sinclair started as a CNA at the Actors Fund home fifteen years ago. During the pandemic she was given the title of “Quality Coordinator” and began liaising with the Director of Nursing and her fellow CNAs when staffing issues came up.

“I get along with most if not all of my co-workers,” Sinclair says. “People always try to inform me if we are running short in a particular area, so I can get someone to step in. Luckily, we haven’t been short for a while. After the pandemic they started hiring people. Many of the people who first came here from agencies have opted to stay here full-time. It is an excellent place to work. We are like family here, and we respect each other. The administration looks out for workers who care, and they listen to our concerns.”

The facility gets a lot of support from the entertainment community. Broadway actors and dancers often come to the home and give performances. Hollywood stars also donate their time and money to help fund the high standard of care. Members received a pay increase of $1 per hour plus a weekend differential following the latest union contract negotiations last summer.

3. I love being in 1199, we know they have our backs when we have any problems,” says Brittany Lara Mendez, who has worked in Housekeeping for the past three years. “It also helps to have the Union health insurance.”

Mendez moved to the U.S. with her mother in 2018 from Spain, but is nonetheless very familiar with American television dramas. Recently, when cleaning the room of one of the residents, the man began reciting dialogue from a long-running police series.

“I recognized the series right away,” Mendez says. “It turns out that he was a special actor in that series. His memory comes and goes, and he doesn’t have anyone to talk to, so it was nice to make a connection with him. We have to listen to the residents. It is very important to them.”

Another resident, who had been a professional writer during his working life, created his own newspaper and keeps his mind active by writing stories about events that happened long ago.

“I never get tired of hearing the residents’ stories,” Mendez adds. “I love hearing about their youth, learning things that I never knew, both good things and bad things.”

4. Errol Hunter has been working at the Actors Fund Home since 1997, and was one of the first members to become a Union Delegate 22 years ago.

Working as a Dietary Utility Aide, Hunter makes sure the kitchen is clean, sanitized and well-stocked. Sometimes he prepares trays for residents.

During the Oscar ceremony in March the staff set up cheese, fruit and wine for those who wanted to watch. “They loved it,” Hunter says.

“Years ago, one of the residents pointed out his daughter up on the screen during the Oscars. She was one of the recipients that year.”

Hunter adds, “It is very interesting to hear their stories. One man told him that all he had left was his trumpet because his manager robbed him. A woman told me her husband used to own Yankees Stadium.”

“The Union is all about job protections, as well as healthcare and retirement benefits,” Hunter says. “The first jobs I had when I came here from Jamaica did not have health benefits.” It makes a big difference having to pay just a $10 co-pay every three months.

Not far off retirement age himself, Hunter is now actively recruiting other active members to take his place as the Delegate. Over the years, he’s been a member of many bargaining committees responsible for securing multiple contracts.

5. When Jennifer Harris first began working at the Actors Fund Home nine years ago as a CNA, she knew she’d found her calling.

“One day I was taking care of somebody who told me she had been a dancer on Broadway, and it turns out that she knew my mother, who was also a dancer. I love that I still run into people in the ‘business’ here,” says Harris. “Being in this setting feels very comfortable to me. It’s familiar. My grandmother was also a dancer, and she appeared in Irene.”

The classic musical opened on Broadway in 1919 and ran for 675 performances. At the time, it was the longest-running musical in Broadway history, and maintained that spot for nearly two decades.

“I raised my son, now 26, and daughter, now 24, on the Upper West Side and we used to play softball in the Broadway Show League in NYC’s Central Park,” Harris adds. “My mother was a dancer in the original Guys and Dolls theatre production in 1950 and my father was a producer who won three Tony awards.”

Harris used to work for in-house ticketing at Jujamcyn Theatres, the third-largest theatre owner on Broadway. Then she married a stagehand and moved to New Jersey. “My three older brothers were all Broadway stagehands, so I’ve been around this community for most of my life,” she says.

The brothers were all members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E) – Local 1.

When her marriage ended, Harris went into the healthcare field and was very happy to be able to give back to the entertainment community.

“What I love to do is create relationships. My job is dedicated to patient care, and I find that the love I give, I always get it back,” she says. “You have to be kind and patient. It is not always an easy job, but I find it rewarding.”