Mayor John V. Lindsay formally announced today his administration’s approval of a non-sectarian $1,5 million project to assist elderly, needy, and physically or mentally impaired persons in largely Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, under the supervision of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA). The money will be used to build nine permanent multi-purpose community centers–three borough-wide, four additional in Brooklyn and two additional in the Bronx.
JASA’s annual caseload, now totalling 18,000 elderly and their families, is expected to double with the addition of the conveniently located, Medicare, old-age aid and related programs; homemaker and housekeeper assistance; hospitals and clinical facilities; rehabilitation guidance; housing, social clubs, recreation, mutual aid societies, legal counsel and citizenship grants for food, clothing and shelter.
The $1,5 million program, approved by the New York State Department of Social Services, will be funded 12,5 percent by the city, which initiated the plan; 75 percent by the federal government, and 12,5 percent by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (the latter making up the portion approved but not funded by the state government).
CULMINATION OF A YEAR’S DRIVE
In ceremonies at City Hall, where Lindsay made the announcement, the Mayor called the project an “important effort at strengthening services to the needy elderly (that) brings us closer to the goal of seeing that no senior citizen suffers the hardships of dire poverty, poor housing, the lack of health and welfare services and facilities, and the breakdown of family relations in our highly mobile society.”
He welcomed JASA’s “willingness to undertake this challenging responsibility” and said he believed “this new venture will demonstrate the desirability of a partnership between the government and the private sector.”
Human Resources Administrator Jule Sugarman said the new JASA centers “will reach hidden populations of older people who are now isolated from contact with the programs and services that could help them.” This was believed to be an allusion to the thousands of needy Jews here who miss out on aid because they do not live within designated poverty areas.
Commenting on the grant, Lawrence B. Buttenwieser, president of Federation, said the project was the culmination of a year’s drive to launch such services. “Through this joint effort,” he said, we will be able to implement vastly more effective programs to serve both the Jewish elderly of our city and those of other faiths.” Federation set up JASA three years ago as a city-wide voluntary agency. The association now aids 12,000 aged persons.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
