$15K in Grants Awarded to Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers

From Westchester County Government: Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Legislator David Tubiolo yesterday announced $15,000 in grants for seniors programs at the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers. Astorino’s $10,000 and Tubiolo’s $5,000 will help to support free weekly lunches, health screenings, computer classes and more.

“The Aisling Irish Community Center does so much for the people of Yonkers,” Astorino said. “For many seniors, it is a home away from home. This funding will go a long way towards making sure seniors in the community are living healthy and happy lives, surrounded by friends and neighbors who are there for them.”
The announcement came as part of the center’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration and Irish-American Heritage Month festivities. Astorino and Tubiolo also presented proclamations declaring March 21, 2017, to be “Aisling Irish Community Center Recognition Day” in Westchester County.

“As a lifelong resident of the McLean Heights neighborhood and active member of many Irish and community organizations, I know the importance of programs and places such as the Aisling Center,” said Legislator Tubiolo, Chair of the Seniors Committee of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL). “It’s deeply gratifying for me to be able to support the wonderful programming that will be benefitting our seniors community. We’re taking care of the people who raised us, taught us and love us.”

Aisling’s “Young at Heart” seniors group has membership of over 250 seniors. In addition to guest speakers, arts and crafts, chair yoga and other activities focused on the mental and physical wellbeing of its seniors, the center also assists with finding quality healthcare, passport applications, pension inquiries, Medicaid questions and more.

Órla Kelleher, Executive Director of the Aisling Irish Community Center, offered thanks to Astorino and Tubiolo, saying the center plays a vital role as a respite and resource center for the elderly living in the neighborhood.

“We know from the seniors we assist on a daily basis and from those who attend our weekly senior group events that the Aisling Center adds so much to their lives,” said Kelleher. “Our weekly program aims to combat isolation and includes a free lunch every Tuesday at the center as well as activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing. Other services include computer classes, advice on entitlements, confidential counseling to seniors and their family members as appropriate, outreach visits and regular reassurance calls to members when they are experiencing difficulty such as illness, bereavement and loneliness.”

Aisling Irish Community Center is located at 990 McLean Ave., Yonkers. To learn more about the programs and services provided, please call 914-237-5121 or visit www.aislingcenter.org.

Photos courtesy of Westchester County Government