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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Singh, Program Manager of Peter J. DellaMonica Older Adult Center at Catholic Charities
3:39:55
ยท
3 min
Michael Singh, representing Catholic Charities, testified about the devastating impact of proposed budget cuts on older adult services in New York City. He emphasized the growing older adult population and the critical role of senior centers in addressing various needs.
- Highlighted concerns about food insecurity, social isolation, and the need for better-resourced older adult centers
- Called for increased investment in emergency repairs, nutrition, housing, and community services for older adults
- Stressed the importance of preserving dignity, independence, and quality of life for older New Yorkers
Michael Singh
3:39:55
Hello.
3:39:55
Good afternoon.
3:39:56
I'm chair Hudson and the aging committee.
3:39:59
My name is Michael Singh.
3:40:00
I'm the program director for Catholic Charities, specifically for Brooklyn and Queens, the Peter Jay Della Monaco Senior Center.
3:40:09
I just wanted to say I sent in my testimonies for older adults.
3:40:14
And for me, just wanted to bring up that New York City has long failed to prioritize the programs and services that helps older adults remain in their communities as they age.
3:40:26
It's with the proposed 120,000,000 cut, it's gonna be devastating to the older adult community.
3:40:33
It will slash vital services across the board.
3:40:39
We all know that one in five New Yorkers make an older adult population by 2,040.
3:40:46
As we said before, it's gonna increase by 25.
3:40:50
With cut with cuts, more older New Yorkers will be pushed out of their homes and onto the streets due to an ever weakening safety net, and then it's gonna be more weakened if we do have those cuts.
3:41:02
We're gonna have a growth of hunger, homelessness, neglect.
3:41:07
I have a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, that says the measure of a society is how well we treat its elderly.
3:41:15
In the OSCs, we do have a lot of unresourced things such as operations, transportation, social services, facilities, staffing.
3:41:26
We do need better pay for our staff members.
3:41:29
We do need more accredited staff members, more trained staff members to deal with the older adult population.
3:41:38
Also, I think all the adult centers, there is that in place where, you know, we start coordinating all community services for older adults so they can stay within the community and live independent.
3:41:50
I do have a lot of what is it?
3:41:53
Dignity.
3:41:54
A lot of words to say about, you know, people, old old adult members.
3:41:59
They wanna feel valuable to society.
3:42:01
They want dignity.
3:42:02
They wanna preserve their independence.
3:42:05
They wanna live happy lives.
3:42:07
They we have a lot of food, insecurity that's, versus our food courts right now.
3:42:15
We do have, socialized isolation.
3:42:19
So a senior center is a great place for people to come and socialize, to do activities.
3:42:24
They do enjoy a lot of physical activities, a lot of arts and craft.
3:42:30
The senior center really helped them to learn and manage the delay of chronic diseases and improves their physical, social, spiritual, emotional, mental, and economic well-being.
3:42:43
So what I really want is that our proposal is to invest 5,000,000 a year in emergency repairs for our centers over the city, make about 2,300,000,000.0 investment in nutrition, housing, community services.
UNKNOWN
3:42:59
We owe lot expired.
Michael Singh
3:43:01
Oh, thank you.