ELIZABETH Donnelly is a social worker and senior program development center at the Aisling Irish Community Center, a social services organization, based in Yonkers which serves the needs of Irish immigrants living in New York.

The Aisling Center is the main provider of services for the elderly Irish community in the Yonkers/Woodlawn section of New York and offers an array of services, including programs focusing on mental and physical well being, counseling, legal and immigration referrals, employment and accommodation notices. The center also offers many Irish classes for adults and children.
A native of the Bronx, Donnelly holds a bachelor and master of social work from Herbert H. Lehman College.

Both of her parents hailed from Co. Kerry, and Donnelly’s husband Patsy, with whom she has two children, is a native of Trillick, Co. Tyrone. “Growing up in a large Irish Catholic family, I was raised to embrace my Irish heritage along with the various aspects of our unique culture. My family and I were brought up with Irish values and traditions from a very young age,” Donnelly recalls.

“Along with my husband, we make a point of instilling the same Irish values and culture that we were brought up with onto our own two children.”

Donnelly also connects with her heritage through her job.

“Working at the Aisling Irish Community Center in the heart of the Irish American community in Yonkers, I get the opportunity to meet people from all 32 counties of Ireland on a daily basis, which brings me great joy and satisfaction,” she says.

“Hopefully, there will soon be a solution to help our undocumented Irish men and women, so that they too can have all the opportunities that this country has to offer.”

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