THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

OFFICE OF COUNCILMAN VINCENT GENTILE

CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
(212) 788-7363
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

March 7, 2011

Contact: Dena Libner

(646) 335-3692

STATEMENT OF COUNCILMAN GENTILE ON

SENIOR CENTERS THREATENED WITH CLOSURE

CITY HALL−Three of the four senior centers in Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst funded by
the Department for the Aging have been threatened with closure, meaning an end to
nearly 200 hot, daily meals and services that keep seniors in naturally occurring
retirement communities engaged.

The Moose Lodge Senior Center (7711 18th Avenue), Bay Ridge Center for Older Adults
(411 Ovington Avenue) and Ft. Hamilton-St. John’s Senior Center (461 99th Street) were
included on a list of centers to be closed, made public by the Department for the Aging
(DFTA) last week. DFTA said the closures are necessary as a result of more than $23
million in funding cuts at the state level.

“If these centers close, our neighborhood will lose more than 43,000 hot meals for
seniors,” Councilman Gentile said. “They depend on these centers for their one hot meal
a day, exercise programs and flu shots. In the summer, we rely on centers to be air-
conditioned refuges from the heat, which can be a danger . In many cases, these centers
keep our many seniors active and engaged in our community.

“For a naturally occurring retirement community like south Brooklyn, services like senior
centers have to remain open and supportive of the people who rely on them. Otherwise, a
whole section of our community collapses,” Councilman Gentile added.

In 2010, Councilman Gentile worked tirelessly to prevent similar closures. The Moose
Lodge Senior Center and Shore Hill Senior Center were faced with closure but, in
meetings with centers’ executive directors and DFTA, Councilman Gentile was able to
keep both centers open. He has scheduled meetings to advocate for the protection of local
centers as well as petition drives to show how many people depend on services and
resources provided by the threatened centers.

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