LifePath

Initially known as the Senior Citizens Centers, the organization was one of the first agencies in the Capital Region to provide supportive services to elders. There was tremendous support from the community to get things up and running in 1952. Space was donated by the YMCA and the Senior Citizens Centers were offered temporary cash support from th... e Council of Jewish Women and the Junior League of Albany. An in-kind program director was also provided by the city adult education funds. In 1954, the Center accepted membership and support from the Community Chest and continued to grow and add programming through the '50s and '60s. Utilizing these generous resources, the first senior center was able to open and successfully provide social, recreational, educational, and health activities for the older adults in the Albany area. In the 1970s, with support from the Older Americans Act legislation, the agency began offering additional programs to local seniors. The number of centers that offered congregate meals, health services, social activities, arts & crafts, counseling, and bingo expanded to 13 locations by 1979. With a greater emphasis on providing services in various locations, the agency changed its name to Senior Service Centers of the Albany Area, Inc. Newgate was one of the first social model adult day programs in the area and was started in 1985. In 1986, the Albany County Department of Aging requested the involvement of the organization to run their Home Delivered Meals Program. Nearly 100,000 meals were served during the first year of participation, and by 1989, the program was expanded to include the non-elderly disabled population. Nearly 8 million meals have been prepared and delivered since making this change. The early 1990's marked the beginning of another new era and consequently a name change to Senior Services of Albany. New programs such as services for caregivers and health insurance counseling we added and social workers were hired to help navigate increasingly difficult government ...Read More