Plans For Montclair Senior Center Are Coming Together, Group Says

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Plans for Montclair’s long-awaited senior center – and all the community programs that will follow – are starting to come together, a nonprofit says.

Earlier this year, the Montclair Town Council unanimously voted to approve an ordinance that will give local seniors a place to call their own – something they’ve been demanding for years.

The township inked a lease agreement for a “senior community center and office space” at 60 South Fullerton Avenue. Under the agreement, the space will also be used as the general offices of the Department of Senior Services/Lifelong Montclair. See Related: Montclair Council Votes On Long-Awaited Senior Center

As work on the senior center begins, local activists have formed a new nonprofit that aims to “enhance the lives of modern agers”: the Montclair Modern Aging Collective (MMAC).

The formation of the MMAC comes nearly two decades after community activists first began the campaign for a senior center, including members of the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, Aging In Montclair (AIM), Montclair Gateway to Aging in Place (mGAP), and Do Drop In.

According to a news release from the group:

“The center, anticipated to open by the end of this year, will encompass 4,400 square feet to accommodate space for classrooms, meeting rooms, lounge areas, a computer lab and offices for the township Division of Senior Services and MMAC personnel. The facility will be available for use by collaborative partners and community residents seven days a week, from morning through evening. A newly paved parking area at the rear of the building will provide ample parking.”

The center will also operate as a “hub” for senior services – with “spokes” at satellite spaces throughout town, advocates said. Offerings will include:

• Programs to enhance the work of the Montclair Institute for Lifelong Learning (MILL). MILL classes will continue to be held at the at the Edgemont House, the Wally Choice Center, and Montclair Public Library.
• A central location for dealing with transportation issues, where residents can sign up and receive important information.
• A computer lab to expand on the mGAP peer-to-peer tech training program that currently takes place in several locations.
• A focal point for disseminating housing information related to senior housing, ie: distribution of housing vouchers.
• Meeting spaces for supportive activities associated with coordination of nursing services, counseling, and health screenings.

MMAC founding member Annette Weis, who is also president of AIM, said the nonprofit has already begin fundraising and working to create community partnerships in Montclair.

For more information, including volunteer opportunities and donations, contact MontclairMAC2024@gmail.com.

“Our center will serve as a welcoming space where all modern agers can come together to participate in activities, connect with peers, and access valuable resources that promote their overall well-being,” agreed another MMAC founding member Katherine Nicholas, who is senior activities coordinator for Do Drop In.

Another co-founder of the group, Senior Services director Judy Hurley, said the new center represents a “commitment from the township in partnership with modern agers.”

“Focus groups will be scheduled in the coming months to gather input from interested residents throughout the community regarding the issues to be addressed at the center,” Hurley said, adding that the organization will also be reaching out to recruit volunteers and build a representative board of directors.

“With this greater life expectancy comes new opportunities as well as new challenges,” founding MMAC member and mGAP president Ann Lippel said.

“The collective is committed to fostering both comprehensive support as well as resources to empower all township modern agers to lead fulfilling and active lives,” she said, adding that there are several hardworking activists who didn’t live to see the watershed moment.

“We owe so much to Jim Eason, Sharon Sandusky, Loretta Freeman and Anita Geffinger,” Lippel said.

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