Area Agency on Aging Executive Director Janet Talerico reads the 2015-16 Aging Block Grant last week to community residents.
by Jonathan Weaver
Activities and services through the dozen Armstrong County senior centers and satellite centers will continue as normal during fiscal year 2015-16.
During a public hearing Thursday, Executive Director Janet Talerico was glad to give the news.
“We’re happy to say that in the block grant agreement we’re looking at the same funding,” Talerico said. “There was no funding decrease – which was wonderful.”
While she acknowledged that the stable grant allocation does not account for increase utility and healthcare costs, grant dollars will be distributed through 17 different types of services as budgeted by cost center.
The most money - more than $465,000 - was allocated toward home-delivered meals.
The Area Agency on Aging will again sponsor a portion of medical trips via Town and Country Transit.
An additional $17,000 was also allocated to allow for senior residential home repairs in cooperation with the county Department of Planning and Development.
“We were able to work together to stretch the dollars out to do roofing and furnace repairs for several individuals,” Talerico said. “It’s not a lot of funding, but we’re happy that we have that available.”
The block grant provides a majority of the Area Agency on Aging’s fiscal year funding. A grant formula with several factors determined Armstrong’s allocation.
Talerico does not anticipate any changes to the budget, but a revision in the next few months will give officials an opportunity to reallocate funds if necessary.
Advisory Board members also were in support of the block grant allocation.