‘Pizza and Soda’ campaign senior food summit

Senior center officials are calling for more city funding, especially for meals.
Gathering at the Kew Gardens Community Center, they said that since 1999, reimbursement by the city for congregate on-site meals at senior centers and home-delivered meals has remained the same at $1.85 per meal.
Just to meet inflation, 35 cents more a meal is needed, or $4.5 million citywide.
Seniors sent out a strong message to the City Council and the Bloomberg administration — “You can’t even get a slice of pizza and a soda for $1.85.”
The city Department of the Aging currently reimburses senior centers $1.85 per on site meal and $1.89 for delivered meals. Citywide, senior centers serve 13 million meals a year.
The lack of increases means that senior centers serve more meals than they are being reimbursed for.
As a second priority, the Council of Senior Citizens and Services of New York City hopes to establish built in yearly increases to keep pace with inflation, explained Bobbie Sackman, director of public policy for the council.
The City Council is also seeking $1.9 million to cover rent increases and $4 million to cover increased costs for transportation programs. The $4 million was added to the 2005 budget by the City Council but was not in the mayor’s 2006 budget.
Borough President Helen Marshall said that, “Our senior centers do a terrific job providing home-delivered meals to Queens seniors. But they need our additional support to keep pace with inflation.”
Councilman David Weprin, Chair, City Council Finance Committee, said “A $1.85 won’t get you on a subway, won’t buy you a gallon of milk, or definitely a gallon of gasoline,” Councilman Weprin, Chair or the Finance committee quipped. “Our senior citizens worked hard to secure a bright future for us. We should at least be able to buy them a decent meal.”