Councilman David G. Greenfield, Councilman Mark Treyger and Assemblyman Bill Colton are celebrating an agreement they have reached with the city to provide funding to keep House of Jacob kosher senior center open for at least six more months. The popular senior center on 23rd Avenue in Bensonhurst, which serves well over 100 seniors each day, was slated to close last year due to lack of funding. At that time, Councilman Greenfield worked with then-Speaker Christine Quinn to keep the center open through the end of 2013. With the center again facing closure on New Year’s Day, Councilman Greenfield, Councilman Treyger and Assemblyman Colton worked with the City Council to secure necessary funding to keep the center’s doors open to the community until the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. The elected officials are continuing to work in hopes of securing long-term city funding for the House of Jacob.

“I heard from many concerned seniors who rely on House of Jacob to receive a hot kosher meal, socialize with their neighbors and have access to vital programs. That’s why I immediately partnered with my great colleagues in local government, Councilman Mark Treyger and Assemblyman Bill Colton, to work collectively with the city on a deal that keeps this important center open well into the new year. As the chair of the Senior Center committee in the NYC Council, I am very pleased that we have reached this agreement to keep this center open,” said Councilman Greenfield.

“As a community we must keep the bond with our seniors strong. These are individuals who have worked hard to provide for their families their entire lives. We are in their debt. Providing these essential social and recreational services is the least we can do to give back to those who have given us so much. The House of Jacob is a vital community institution and it would be heartless for the government to turn its back on our seniors. I am encouraged by the coming together of local leaders to defend this center and hope we can carry on working to keep our centers open and thriving to the benefit of our seniors,” said Councilman Treyger.

“I am proud to partner with Councilman Greenfield and Councilman Treyger in protecting this important senior center. These centers provide an opportunity for seniors to access vital programs and increase their quality of life. As one of the only senior centers in the area, without House of Jacob many seniors would be completely cut off from these important services. I will continue to work vigorously with my colleagues to protect and strengthen senior services in Southern Brooklyn,” said Assemblyman Colton.

House of Jacob is located at 6222 23rd Avenue on the Boro Park-Bensonhurst border. It serves a large segment of the local senior population. To reflect the diversity of the seniors it serves, the center hosts holiday and cultural events throughout the year in celebration of the different backgrounds and nationalities of its seniors. In addition, it provides daily hot meals, numerous social activities, health lectures and screenings and countless other events and programs that the community counts on.

The senior center is located within the JCC of Bensonhurst’s shul, which relies on rent from House of Jacob to help cover its operational expenses. As a result, the agreement that Councilman Greenfield, Councilman Treyger and Assemblyman Colton reached to keep the senior center open is also a huge relief for the JCC of Bensonhurst.

(YWN Desk – NYC)