CSCS: Council of Senior Centers and Services of NYC, Inc.

Staten Island Advance

Staten Island seniors, Sen. Savino urge Gov. Cuomo to spare the ax in respect of $25M funding for city's centers

Friday, 02 December 2011

By: Katelynn Rusnock

Publication & Publisher: Staten Island Advance

NEW YORK -- Elected and city officials and organizations advocating for seniors spoke out yesterday against possible changes in state Title XX funding that would cut about $25 million from senior centers across the city.

More than 60 seniors also attended the press conference on the steps of City Hall, some carrying signs urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to refrain from proposing cuts in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget. More than 15,000 letters -- in English, Spanish and Chinese -- were written by city seniors, 2,000 of them Staten Islanders, with the same request.

"This is an issue that shouldn't even be debated," said Department for the Aging Commissioner Lillian Barrios-Paoli.

Through its discretionary funding, Title XX currently provides a third of the financial backing for senior centers in the city. The proposed changes would move all discretionary funding to Child Welfare Services.

A loss of Title XX funding would mean that 105 senior centers across the city would be forced to close their doors. Forever Young Senior Center in St. George; Stapleton Senior Center; Todt Hill Friendship Club Senior Center, and the Staten Island Friendship Club in Great Kills are among those that could be threatened by the cuts.

"We may not have the largest population of seniors, but we have the fastest-growing age 65-plus population," said Nikki Odlivak, president and CEO of the Community Agency for Senior Citizens in St. George.

State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) told the Advance that Staten Island's seniors would be hurt by the cuts.

"What they are saying is: 'Listen, we have enough things to worry about. Take this off the table,'" she said.

Sen. Savino had a message for Cuomo: "We stand united together to say it didn't work last year; it's not going to work this year. Gov. Cuomo, let's not play this game this time."

"This time around, Sen. Lanza wants to make sure Gov. Cuomo hears the message loud and clear now," said a spokesman for Lanza (R-Staten Island).

Bobbie Sackman, director of Public Policy for The Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York City, noted that seniors across the city have been dependent upon the services the money provides for 35 years. Eliminating them would mean 2 million fewer meals a year for seniors. "It's clearly the wrong direction to move in," she said.