(ROCHESTER, NY) - Today, Senator Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester), Supervisor Steve Schultz, and officials from the Henrietta Senior Center cut the ribbon on the new mobile transport van to bring seniors to and from the senior center and events in the community. Senator Cooney secured $60,000 in state funding towards the purchase of this vehicle.

“With the challenges facing our older adults, they need spaces like the Henrietta Senior Center to gather as a community and take advantage of the many social and wellness programs Henrietta makes available,” said Senator Cooney. “Barriers to transportation have prevented more of our older adults from taking advantage of these services - until now. I’m proud to have helped make this a reality to get wheels on the ground and bring our older adults from Point A to Point B.”

Supervisor Schultz said, “As Henrietta continues to grow and as we have updated our Town Code to allow for additional senior housing, including new affordable senior housing projects, the participation in our Senior Center has also grown. The Town is in the process of expanding the Senior Center to accommodate these new attendees thanks to a grant from the County and a gift from the estate of some long-time members. But many of the seniors also need transportation to and from the Center. We brought this need to Senator Cooney and he was able to find funding for the new van, which will help us address the need for transportation to and from the Center or events for seniors. We are very appreciative of all he does for our residents, in this case, our senior residents in particular.”

The Town of Henrietta has recently been working to expand their electrical capacity to pave the way for more development projects. Empire State Development announced earlier this year a $4.7 million grant to upgrade a substation to allow these projects, including senior housing, to move forward. With more older adults coming to call Henrietta home, this van will ensure that all seniors are able to take advantage of the programs offered by the senior center.

The Henrietta Senior Center offers fitness classes, overnight trips, a walking group, three computers, services to connect older adults with housing, legal, financial, and healthcare resources, and more. They also provide a lunch club on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for Henrietta residents aged 60 and older.

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