[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 61 (Tuesday, May 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E788-E789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE WOODBRIDGE SENIOR CENTER ON ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 2002

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to 
join the Woodbridge community in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of 
the Woodbridge Senior Center. As the center for senior activities, the 
Woodbridge Senior Center has become a landmark in our community.
  With the establishment of a local Commission on Aging in 1977, there 
was an assessment of the needs of the elderly in Woodbridge. Almost 
immediately, the Commission found that there was a lack of space for a 
place for seniors to gather. Under the remarkable leadership of 
Patricia Gilbert and the founding members, the Commission on Aging 
successfully negotiated for space at Center School, adopted a budget, 
completed a needs assessment survey, formulated policies, opened the 
lounge and office, developed a volunteer transportation service and 
established several programs--all within nine months.
  In the years since its inception, the Woodbridge Senior Center has 
developed a very unique relationship with the community. Through the 
Woodbridge Awareness to Crime and Home Safety (WATCH) Council, the 
Senior Center and the Woodbridge Police Department joined together to 
develop programming aimed at reducing fear of crime and improving the 
quality of life for seniors. Each year, the Senior Center sponsors an 
afternoon tea at which they honor the many volunteers who assist them 
throughout the year. Working with the town officials, the Senior Center 
was able to secure a handicapped accessible van which provides 
transportation to the senior and disabled community. These are only a 
few of the many outstanding programs the Center has offered to 
Woodbridge seniors.
  Our seniors deserve to have a place in each of our communities where 
they can socialize as well as access much needed programs. In the 
quarter of a century since the Senior Center was established, the 
efforts of the staff and volunteers has greatly improved the quality of 
life of Woodbridge Seniors. Providing invaluable programs and services, 
they have made a real difference in the community as a whole. Even 
today, the Senior Center continues to

[[Page E789]]

grow and expand---enriching the community and the lives of many 
seniors.
  Today, as they celebrate their 25th anniversary, I am honored to 
stand and join the Woodbridge community in congratulating the staff and 
volunteers, past and present, of the Woodbridge Senior Center, on this 
milestone. Their commitment, dedication, and advocacy has left an 
indelible mark on our community and I would like to extend my deepest 
thanks and appreciation to them for all of their good work.

                          ____________________