Montclair’s seniors are frustrated by the apparent lack of interest in the needs of our age group, which constitutes more than 25% of Montclair’s population.
Needed services do not exist and others are fragmented and difficult to access. It has been nearly three years since there has been an active Director of Senior Services. The Senior Citizens Advisory Committee (SCAC) has not met for over a year. The Montclair Senior Bus no longer exists. The current EZ-Ride service is valued highly by those who utilize it, but it does not serve the same functions. Despite years of advocacy on the part of senior organizations in Montclair, we are still one of the very few locations in the area without a Senior/Community Center.
To help address these concerns, Aging in Montclair received a grant from Partners for Health that has enabled us to sponsor the Montclair Senior Services Roundtable. Representatives of organizations providing services and activities for Montclair’s older residents are attending six facilitated meetings. The goal of these discussions is to identify overlaps and gaps in services and to improve communication and collaboration among service providers.
At the conclusion of this process, recommendations will be developed and presented to the Town Council. It is our hope that these recommendations will be seriously considered by the Town Council as a step toward improving access to the information, services and programs that will enhance the life of Montclair’s senior community and the entire area.
Annette Weis, president
Aging in Montclair, Inc.