County provides funding for Ballard, Greenwood seniors

December 14, 2009

Summary

Funding helps keep senior centers’ doors open for seniors

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council today adopted a supplemental appropriation to King County’s 2009 budget that included $20,000 for the Ballard Northwest and Greenwood Senior Centers.

Funding for senior centers was cut in order to balance a $56 million budget gap in the county’s recently adopted 2010 budget. Additional revenue in 2009 budget from lower than expected costs and federal and state reimbursements allowed the council to appropriate funding to some of the human services organizations that were cut in the 2010 budget. Councilmember Larry Phillips advocated for the Ballard and Greenwood Senior Centers to receive funding.

“Our senior centers rely in part on money from King County every year to keep providing essential programs for vulnerable seniors,” said Phillips, who represents Ballard and Greenwood on the County Council. “Getting this funding late in the 2009 budget will help these centers make up for the loss of county funding they would have otherwise seen in 2010 due to the deep cuts taken to balance the budget.”

Annually, the senior centers serve over 4,000 individuals aged fifty and up. They provide nutritional meals, physical activities, wellness and health screening services, social work support, and socialization activities for seniors.

“I’m glad this funding will enable our seniors to remain engaged in our community and connected to services that improve their quality of life,” said Phillips.