HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell today said Pennsylvania will help revitalize 153 senior community centers across the state with $4 million in grants.
Kylertown Senior Center was one of many senior centers across the state to receive grant funding. Kylertown Senior Center received $1,900 for equipment.
“Senior community centers contribute in many different ways to the well being of our older residents,” Rendell said. “Each time I visit a senior center, I’m reminded of the important role they serve in the lives of so many Pennsylvanians.”
Senior centers offer clients a broad range of services, including nutritious meals, health screenings, consumer education, creative arts, exercise programs, and special events. Some centers also offer older adult day services, employment opportunities and transportation.
Rendell said the funds will finance necessary repairs, renovations and new equipment at the centers, helping to meet the needs of Pennsylvania’s changing population of older adults. Department of Aging Secretary Nora Dowd Eisenhower said some centers will receive grants to study how to attract, and better serve, new clients.
“Many forward-thinking senior community centers are working to attract members of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation, some of whom may mistakenly think senior centers have little to offer them,” Eisenhower said. “By investing strategically, and carefully planning ahead, we can ensure that senior centers will continue to be healthy and vibrant contributors to our communities.”