Senior Spotlight
Nolan, Gioia Press On To Keep St. Mary's Seniors Center Open
Spotlight By John Toscano

Photo William Alitriste Assemblymember Cathy Nolan and Councilmember Eric Gioia rally with seniors and community members in front of St. Mary's Senior Center in Long Island City.

Ramping up their campaign to save St. Mary's Senior Center in Long Island City, area lawmakers pointed to future considerations that indicate the center should not be closed.

Speaking at another rally in front of the community senior facility, Assemblymember Catherine Nolan (D- Ridgewood) declared: "This decision [to close the center] is not only a disgrace, but it is shortsighted considering that the elderly population will only continue to grow in the coming years as baby boomers reach senior citizen status."

Moments later, City Councilmember Eric Gioia, the other half of the duo fighting to prevent the closing of the facility, pointed to the mammoth new Queens West development being built nearby. "As we build a new city in this new century along the waterfront, we must stay true to the values that make us who we are," he stated. "Young and old, new and long-term residents alike, we must all come together as a neighborhood."

For these reasons, Gioia is demanding that the city Department for the Aging (DFTA) suggest alternate sites nearby in Long Island City to continue serving the seniors in that area.

Nolan and Gioia have also called upon Catholic Charities, which has operated the center for 20 years with assistance from DFTA, to continue to serve neighborhood seniors until a new facility can be found so that senior services will not be interrupted.

At the Friday press conference, Nolan told seniors and other community activists opposed to the closing gathered in front of St. Mary's: "I oppose this measure and I call on DFTA and the city of New York to come clean and ensure that our seniors are not disadvantaged by this heartless decision."

At this point, no definite closing date has been announced.

Nolan, whose district includes St. Mary's Senior Center and Queens West, also emphasized the importance of the neighborhood concept as another necessity for keeping the center in existence. "More importantly, we cannot have our traditional neighborhoods gentrified to the point where long-time elderly residents cannot be part of the community lunch program," she added.

Gioia (D- Long Island City) added: "Closing the only senior center in Long Island City without any plans to reopen a comparable facility, leaving seniors with no option but to travel far to an alternate center is simply unacceptable."

For the past several weeks, since Catholic Charities, which runs the center with the support of the DFTA, announced that the center was to be closed, Gioia and Nolan have been fighting tooth and nail to keep the facility open and operating. For over 20 years, they said, the center has provided nutritious meals, social activities, guidance and counseling to the elderly residents of Long Island City.

Catholic Charities claims that the center is housed in a dilapidated building which is no longer adequate for providing services to the seniors. Catholic Charities adds that attendance has been falling off continuously over the past few years.

If the center does close, says the operator, the members will be redirected to other facilities, the closest of which is in Sunnyside at Queens Boulevard and 39th Avenue.

However, Nolan and Gioia point out that the location is five subway stops and several miles away from the St. Mary's center.

Nolan also questioned why she and the other concerned parties were not made aware of the dire straits of the building and the proposed closure of the center at a time when elected officials were helping to secure a recent grant from Citicorp to purchase a new boiler.