On Tuesday, Dec.8, the Westchester County Board of Legislators unanimously approved a program that will bring more than $1.4 million in federal relief
money to local communities to defray the costs of certain home-nutrition services for seniors, including home delivery of meals, groceries and kitchen
supplies.
The money comes from the federal Coronovirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act, CARES Act, and Families First Coronavirus Response Act, via grants from the New York State Office for Aging. It will be available to communities currently providing services in partnership with the county’s Department of Social Services under the Older Americans Act.
“The programs our communities run to provide food aid are lifelines for many seniors,” county Legislator Jose
Alvarado, chairman of the board’s Committee on Seniors, Youth and Intergenerational Services, said. “That has become even more true during the pandemic.
Today, vulnerable seniors face even greater difficulties doing things like shopping for food, and pandemic-related economic problems have increased
hunger and put more stress on service providers and local governments. This federal money will literally be a life saver.”
Those communities with programs that are eligible include Cortlandt, Eastchester, Greenburgh, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, Mount
Vernon, New Castle, New Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill, Yonkers and Yorktown. “Providing for the most basic needs of our most vulnerable seniors is one of the most important responsibilities of government,” said county Legislator David Tubiolo, vice chairman of the Committee on Seniors, Youth and Intergenerational
Services. “It is heartening to see what we can do when federal, state, county and local governments work together to provide help that is so sorely needed.”
(Submitted)
