Erie, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich joined leaders in Erie County to highlight a $3 million investment in Pennsylvania’s Senior Community Center (SCC) grant program. This investment helps SCCs fund projects to ensure older adults are supported in familiar, local places with services to stay healthy and connected to their communities.
The $3 million includes $2 million in competitive grants and an additional $1 million in non-competitive grants. Governor Josh Shapiro fought for and secured the addition of those non-competitive SCC grants in his first budget. Now, every year, they continue to be evenly distributed to hundreds of centers that did not apply for a competitive grant, for smaller needs such as equipment, supplies and materials.
The John F. Kennedy Senior Community Center in Erie is among the SCCs to receive funding this year, and was awarded a competitive grant of $106,275 for capital improvements. Union City Senior Center was also awarded a competitive grant of $9,365 for capital improvements. Six SCCs in the Erie County service area were each awarded $2,577 of the permanent $1 million non-competitive grant track. These SCCs are Mercy Hilltop Center, Erie West Senior Center, North East Senior Center, Northwestern Senior Center, Tri-Boro Senior Center, and Corry Senior Center,
The competitive grants help SCCs fund larger-scale projects such as updating and modernizing facilities, providing new health and entertainment programs, upgrading technology, and enhancing nutrition services.
SCCs across the Commonwealth welcome thousands of older adults through their doors each day, offering nutritious meals, educational opportunities, transportation services, financial and insurance counseling, exercise programs and more. Earlier this month, the Department released the results of a national partnership to increase awareness of and participation in Pennsylvania’s SCCs as vibrant, in-person community hubs that connect older adults to vital resources, services they can use to stay independent and healthy.
The grant funding is appropriated by the General Assembly with proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery.
“Pennsylvania’s Senior Community Centers are cornerstones in our communities and pillars of daily life for the older adults they serve. As we build the future of aging in Pennsylvania, we want to make sure that our centers are welcoming, inclusive assets that meet the changing needs of their local area,” said Secretary Kavulich. “The projects funded by both the competitive and non-competitive grants will help the recipients enhance the programs and services already in place as well as create new opportunities to welcome current visitors and attract new consumers.”
The additional $1 million that Governor Shapiro secured in his first budget created a new, permanent non-competitive track in the grant program. Since the competitive grants normally fund larger scale projects, the non-competitive grants allow smaller needs to be met and more SCCs to benefit from the funding. A total of 388 SCCs were granted a non-competitive award of $2,577 per center.
Governor Shapiro's proposed 2026-27 budget continues this investment in Senior Community Centers, and further invests more than $6 million to continue increasing oversight and accountability of the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) network and transform the coordination of services for older adults through the PA Link.
Since taking office in 2023, Governor Shapiro has invested more than $20 million to make life better for older Pennsylvanians by helping them stay safe, healthy and engaged in their communities and to continue building community supports as they age. The Shapiro Administration also released Aging Our Way, PA at the Governor’s direction, which sets a 10-year strategy to build more inclusive, supportive communities for the more than 3 million older adults who call Pennsylvania home.
For more information on other services and programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians, visit the Department of Aging’s website.