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New Commissioner Takes Reins At City Aging Department
It gives me great pleasure to introduce myself as the new Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging. I have worked with and on behalf of New York City seniors for the past three decades, and am honored that Mayor Bloomberg selected me to serve during a particularly tumultuous time in our city’s history. Although we all must cope with the severe economic consequences resulting from the World Trade Center attack, it will be the Department’s challenge to continue to provide essential services to older New Yorkers. Even though City and State funding has been reduced, I believe we must maintain a fulfilling and supportive quality of life for older residents, especially during uncertain times. As you know, Mayor Bloomberg has asked for budget cuts that will affect all City agencies — including the Department for the Aging. The City Council will still have to approve the upcoming budget, which includes the consolidation of seven Department-funded senior centers and the curtailment of several recently implemented pilot projects. I trust that you, members of what has been called "The Greatest Generation," will continue to support our Mayor’s efforts to get our city back to fiscal health so that we can then once again move forward. I look forward to representing the 1.3 million seniors who have helped make New York City great. Please feel free to contact me with your ideas and comments. Address your mail to: Commissioner Edwin Mendez-Santiago, 2 Lafayette Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10007. E-mail can also be sent through the Department’s web site: www.nyc.gov/aging. Dear Commissioner: I’m 68 years old and I retired five years ago. Now that Social Security no longer deducts money from my check if I take a part-time job, I’d like to get back into the workforce. My problem is that my skills are rusty and I don’t know how to improve them or how to even look for a job at this point. Do you have any advice? C.D. Dear C.D.: The New York City Department for the Aging’s Senior Employment Services program can train and find work for you the way it has for thousands of New Yorkers aged 55-plus. Even in these difficult times, Senior Employment "graduates" are in high demand by New York City businesses, and the program enjoys a 90 percent placement rate. Briefly, special training is offered through three centers: The Food Emporium Training Center prepares mature workers for jobs in the customer service sector, especially for the supermarket industry, but for others as well; the Riese Restaurants Training Center educates trainees for jobs in food service, retail, banking and other services sectors, with an emphasis on customer service skills; the Ageworks Computer Training Center helps trainees prepare for today’s computer-age job market by training them in data entry, word processing and general office work. All trainees receive guidance in their job search. If you are interested in learning more about the Senior Employment Services program and how it can help you find meaningful employment, call 212-442-1353
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