Emporium, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich joined regional leaders in Cameron 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.
“Senior Community Centers are a valuable resource to older adults in every corner of the Commonwealth. Whether it’s a meal, health and wellness activities, or socializing, these centers help our seniors thrive and continue to live independently as they age,” said Secretary Kavulich. “These investments are crucial to the SCCs to ensure they are welcoming, inclusive assets to the local area and the people it serves.”
The Emporium Senior Center is among the SCCs to receive a portion of the $2 million allocated in competitive grants this year, securing $55,546 to upgrade its HVAC
system and lighting, among other improvements. The remaining 13 SCCs in the Cameron/Elk/McKean Area Agency on Aging service area were each awarded $2,525 of the permanent $1 million non-competitive grant track that Governor Josh Shapiro secured in his first budget.
Senior Community Centers 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.
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. 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.
The grant funding is appropriated by the General Assembly in the budget for FY 2024-25 with proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Recently, the Department announced it has partnered with the National Center to Reframe Aging (NCRA) to explore ways to promote and strengthen Pennsylvania’s 400+ Senior Community Centers as vibrant, in-person community hubs that connect older adults to vital resources, services, and broader community life.
PDA and NCRA will collaborate with SCC leaders and key organizations to reframe communications about SCCs with the goal of increasing public awareness and appreciation of what they offer – and investment in the SCCs as a key player in what the future of aging will look like in Pennsylvania. This partnership is a key tactic in Aging Our Way, PA – Pennsylvania’s 10-year multisector plan on aging that was designed to meet the needs and preferences of older adults across the Commonwealth. The Department received funding from Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget to invest in the development of the PA CareKit, another key tactic of the plan.
In his 2025-26 budget proposal, Governor Shapiro invests more in older Pennsylvanians by including $3 million for year two implementation of the plan. The Department will focus on modernizing and strengthening the PA Link, which serves as Pennsylvania’s Aging and Disability Resource Center network, designed to streamline access to long-term services and supports. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal also includes $2 million so the Department can increase accountability and oversight of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network which, among other things, provides resources and protective services for older adults, and a $20 million investment for those AAAs so they can continue to provide key services to older adults.
Older adults looking for either a Senior Community Center in their community or local services and supports can visit the Department of Aging’s website.