Umbrella Launches In Bergen Co., Helps Seniors With Odd Jobs

PARAMUS, NJ - A Brooklyn-based service that connects senior citizens with nearby neighbors who can lend a hand has expanded into northern New Jersey.

On Thursday, Umbrella announced its services would now be available to residents in Bergen and Essex counties, giving older adults age 60 and above a way to find affordable, friendly help with everyday tasks.

“We are thrilled to bring Umbrella to Northern New Jersey, and are looking forward to serving the community here,” said Lindsay Ullman, Umbrella’s CEO.

The announcement was made during an event at Berkeley College in Paramus.

The membership service links senior citizens with individuals who can help them with everyday household chores, such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, home organization and grocery store trips.

In 2017, Ullman and Sam Gerstenzang were inspired by their own grandparents to found Umbrella, which gives seniors a way to hire trusted people in their neighborhood for one-off jobs or tasks.

Owning a home can take a lot of work, and that only gets more difficult as one grows older. According to the AARP, however, over 87% of adults 65+ would prefer to remain in their current homes as they age.

Umbrella’s "neighbors" can help with the little things that come up, such as changing light bulbs, cleaning ceiling fans, and organizing the garage, as well as the bigger tasks, like plumbing issues, power washing, and window cleaning.

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Umbrella hopes to help seniors keep up with all of the work that goes into owning a home so that they are able to live there comfortably as they age.

Through the service, members have access to a number of different types of handy help for $20 an hour, a network of vetted professionals for larger jobs and additional seasonal packages like snow removal and landscaping.

It has also served as a way to provide “purposeful work and extra income to people looking to help out local seniors,”according to Umbrella.

The company estimated that more than 50% of its handy help are recent retirees.

For more information about Umbrella, visit AskUmbrella.comor call 973-200-4499.