Gov. Tom Wolf announced that 60 senior community centers throughout the commonwealth, including Middletown Senior Community Center, will be the recipients of Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s 2019-20 Senior Community Center grants – totaling $2 million in funding appropriated by the General Assembly from the Pennsylvania Lottery. The Middletown center will receive $30,372.
“Senior community centers play an immense role for older Pennsylvanians by assisting them with aging in place,” said Wolf. “The grants will empower these centers to make their desired changes to further benefit regular attendees while attracting a new generation of participants.”
The grants will help senior centers fund projects based on their applications, such as updating and modernizing facilities, providing new health and entertainment programs, upgrading technology, and enhancing marketing opportunities.
“These projects will make a positive impact for the senior community centers receiving the grants and the older adults they serve. As we return to some sense of normalcy, older Pennsylvanians may be eager to return to their local senior community center for the activities they enjoyed prior to the stay-at-home orders plus experience some new opportunities that may come once these projects are completed,” said Aging Secretary Robert Torres.
There are more than 500 senior community centers throughout Pennsylvania that provide a variety of offerings, such as nutritious meals, educational opportunities, transportation services, financial and insurance counseling and exercise programs. Proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery help to fund these programs every year.
“We’re very proud that the Pennsylvania Lottery has been able to provide more than $30 billion in funding for property tax and rent rebates, prescription assistance, home delivered meals and other critical services that seniors depend on,” said Pennsylvania Lottery executive director Drew Svitko. “We’re also proud to be able to say that we remain the nation’s only lottery to dedicate all proceeds to programs that benefit older adults.”
Visit aging.pa.gov for more information.
