100 BROOKLYN NEWS WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Brooklyn Gets Better With Age!
Borough President Adams wants
to honor the legacy of the men and
women who created the community
we share today and whose contributions
remain vital by saying “thank
you” to the senior citizens who are an
integral part of One Brooklyn.
To honor the relationships that
define the lives of many seniors,
Borough President Adams hosts a
catered reception each year before
Valentine’s Day for “Golden Couples”
— partners in love who have been
married for 50 years or more. This
year’s celebration featured a combined
10,241 years of Brooklyn love
inside Brooklyn Borough Hall, complete
with jazz music, a photo booth,
and a sparkling wine toast.
“We recognize greatness with gold
medals and gold trophies, but the
most golden achievement of them all
is the endurance of love,” Borough
President Adams said. “The lasting
commitment that our ‘Golden Couples’
have shown is proof positive that
Virginia has it wrong: BROOKLYN is
for lovers.”
In addition, Borough President
Adams honors longtime residents,
as well as institutions such as block
associations and non-profit groups,
with his Brooklyn Cornerstone Award,
which recognizes their work on behalf
of our community. The golden paver
bricks have also been presented to
employees of borough businesses and
parishioners of local houses of worship
which are distinguished for their
long service.
Borough President Adams has visited
senior centers in every part of
the borough to meet with residents
and listen to their concerns. He has
been particularly focused on the state
of disrepair at many of these sites —
including structural damage, broken
furniture, and obsolete appliances —
and is developing strategies to meet
this challenge. As his team makes
visits to senior centers to celebrate
birthdays and holidays, they are providing
needed assistance for older
residents that have been supported by
Borough President Adams, achieved in
part by the hundreds of thousands of
dollars he allocates to senior service
providers. He has worked to provide
them with Over-the-Counter (OTC)
vans, where seniors have the ability
to access medication and other
medical supplies without a trip to the
pharmacy — something that many
are unable to do because of limited
mobility issues. Additionally, he
has offered eye care services from
VISIONS/Services for the Blind and
Visually Impaired as well as fall safety
education.
Borough President Adams does
more than just work to protect the
dignity of our borough’s more vulnerable
elders, but their financial security
as well. Last August, he announced
his support for the “5@55” campaign,
which aims to share information about
the five documents people need to
have by 55 years of age. These documents,
a will, living will, power of attorney,
healthcare proxy, and digital diary,
provide security for seniors, allowing
them to enjoy peace of mind during
their retirement years. As a member
of the Board of Trustees for the
New York City Employees Retirement
System (NYCERS), Borough President
Adams has urged the agency to provide
information about the “5@55”
campaign to workers in New York City.
“Planning is paramount to enjoying
one’s golden years,” said Borough
President Adams during his second
annual Senior Day in August, celebrated
at Kingsborough Community
College in Manhattan Beach. “As I
approach my 55th birthday, I recognize
the value of having essential legal
documents in order to make potentially
critical choices down the road in
a timely and thoughtful manner.”
As a strong proponent of Mayor de
Blasio’s New York City Vision Zero,
Borough President Adams is also
looking out for seniors as they move
throughout the borough. His CROSS
(Connecting Residents on Safer
Streets) initiative protects pedestrians,
with $1 million allocated to date
to extend sidewalks and modernize
traffic signals at priority intersections.
He has worked with the New York
City Department of Transportation
(DOT) to provide additional crossing
guards near senior centers.
Additionally, he partnered with the
New York City Department of Citywide
Administrative Services (DCAS) on an
audit of Brooklyn Borough Hall that
resulted in a number of safety alterations;
the audit also informed his
Access-Friendly NYC report, available
at brooklyn-usa.org, which details policy
and standards recommendations
for improving accessibility throughout
New York City.
“Everyone should be treated with
dignity and respect as they move
through Brooklyn and New York City,
regardless of the challenges they face
in getting to their destination,” said
Borough President Adams. “Through
Access-Friendly NYC, I am committed
to moving all of our city’s stakeholders
toward concrete reforms that
will lead to a better embracing of all
Brooklynites, including those with disabilities.”
According to the New York City
Department of City Planning (DCP),
Brooklyn is projected to continue having
the largest elderly population in
the city, numbering 410,000 seniors
in 2030, up 45 percent from 2000.
Borough President Adams’ agenda
is deeply focused on senior welfare,
including his emphasis on developing
affordable housing options for grandparents
who care for their grandchildren
as well as health care concerns
that will be explored during his first
Brooklyn Alzheimer’s Conference in
March. In short, it is his mission to
ensure that Brooklyn gets better with
age.
Photo: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office
Borough President Adams showed his website to several members of the Swinging Sixties Senior Center in Williamsburg
during a visit to their library.
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