N4N: Meyerhoff Senior Center Facing Financial Hardships
HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) - They're not young, but certainly young at heart.
And every day, for more than thirty years, hundreds of them come to the Meyerhoff Senior Center.
"I come here because I love it. I have all of my friends over here, that's my place, I can't stay without coming to the center," said Senior Julia Cabezas.
For many, this center is the 'center' of their lives. It's a place where they can learn new things, have fun and connect with friends.
The center's executive director, Beth Allen explained some of the activities, "Tai Chi, yoga, we have enhanced fitness classes, so were meeting their physical needs, then we have brain aerobics and other classes so were keeping their brains healthy."
But it's not all about the fun stuff, the center also has curriculum geared towards helping seniors thrive. Classes like banking, fraud awareness and learning English.
"English for speakers of other languages provided skills necessary for daily life, and it may seem counter intuitive that adult seniors don't need the English skills, but they are the most vulnerable because when they go to the doctor, they need to understand what's taking place," explained Donna Herzek, the Activities Specialist of the center's Adult Day Care Center.
But now the center that's been a lifeline to so many seniors and their families is at risk of losing its own.
"We have recently had a major cut in one of our funding sources and of course the federal government hasn't given us an increase in decades," said Allen.
In addition, the center's taken in dozens of new seniors looking for a new place to spend time.
"We've also have just had an influx of new clients because Hispanic Unity's program for their seniors which has been in existence for twenty years had to close because they lost their funding," explained Allen.
With big cuts to the budget and more seniors to serve, the center now turns to the community for volunteers and donors. Recently Blue Bell Ice Cream stopped by the center to donate scoops of ice cream and smiles for a lunchtime ice cream party.
"Would make a huge difference to making sure that this agency keeps its doors open to continue to serve the needs of these wonderful people," said Allen.
People that may otherwise have no other place to go, people like Julia Cabezas, who explained what would happen if she didn't have a place like the Meyerhoff Senior Center to visit.
"I don't know what I'm going to do, because the day I don't come I cry because I need this place," said Cabezas.
To learn more about volunteering at The Meyerhoff Senior Center or to make a donation, visit their website http://www.meyerhoffcenter.org/ give Neighbors 4 Neighbors a call at 305-597-4404.
