Corbett Administration Announces 2014-15 Senior Community Center Grant Awards

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa., Oct. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Corbett Administration will be providing $2 million in 2014-15 Senior Community Center Grants to 67 centers across Pennsylvania, Secretary of Aging Brian Duke announced today during a visit to the Lower Northumberland Senior Action Center in Herndon.

The grant program is in its second year and is part of the largest-ever single investment in home- and community-based services through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

"This is a great example of Governor Corbett's unwavering commitment to Pennsylvania's senior population," Duke said.  "Senior community centers are vital to older adults and to their communities, and this funding will allow for expanded programs and services in centers across the commonwealth."

Specifically, the grants will provide opportunities for centers to modernize, encourage technology improvements, expand innovative programming, and better meet the needs of their current and future participants.

The Lower Northumberland Senior Action Center will receive $36,000 to provide adequate and safe parking that will accommodate additional visitors to the center on a daily basis.

"Our senior community centers not only provide important services such as nutritious meals to older adults in the communities they live in, but also serve as a lifeline for those who seek social interaction as well," Duke said. "These grants ensure centers will be able to continue offering programs for the well-being of our older Pennsylvanians today and in the future."

The 550 senior community centers throughout Pennsylvania offer a wide variety of programs and services that may include: health and wellness, nutritious meal programs, enrichment programs, educational opportunities, transportation services, financial and insurance counseling, and social and recreational activities. In addition, centers serve as a resource for older adults to obtain information on department programs and services that promote health and independence.

For more information on the 67 awarded senior community centers grants and to locate the center in your community, visit www.aging.state.us.

Media contact: Christina Reese, Aging, 717-783-1550

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor