NY Irish Center Gets City Funding

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Irish Voice News

NY Irish Center Gets City Funding

July 10, 2008

By April Drew

THE New York Irish Center has received $50,000 funding from the New York City Council to advance and develop their aging program that currently exists every Wednesday afternoon at the center in Long Island City.

Father Colm Campbell, chairman of the center, welcomed the money. “It’s urgently needed,” he said.

Growing in numbers, and at present totaling about 60 elderly members, Campbell said the $50,000 is necessary to develop what they call the Lunch and Afternoon Social Club beyond a social gathering and to do so external people need to be brought in to facilitate new programs the center hopes to provide.

“We can’t start charging these people for the program; it wouldn’t be right and a lot of them wouldn’t have it anyway,” said Campbell.

“These are people who sent their children for education and got them into careers. They are also the people who were the backbone of the Irish economy in the fifties and sixties when all their savings went back home to their brothers and sisters.”

Currently the program, which runs from 1-4 p.m., provides a full dinner, donated by local restaurants on a rotational basis to the approximate value of $250. There are also games, talks, dance and music and an occasional visit from a hairdresser, nurse and podiatrist. There is also a lively card game at the end of most Wednesday afternoons.

Campbell, who began the program many years ago after seeing a need in the community for elderly Irish to come together socially said, “We are bringing together Irish people who are isolated, some of whom live upstate, others live in buildings and they might be the only Irish person there now. This club is a great chance to meet other people and be with other people.”

Liz Kenny, executive director of the center told the Irish Voice that with the money they will be able to pay someone to come in and teach the elderly exercise and chair yoga. Also on the horizon is painting classes and bingo.

Down the line, Kenny explains they hope to be able to provide a bus to transport the mostly Irish immigrants (about 10% of the club participants are non-Irish) to and from the center on a Wednesday.

“We also hope to add an additional day during the week, all going well,” said Campbell. “And even provide more Irish music from the show band era.”

Campbell is very grateful to the City Council for the funding, and said if it wasn’t for the groundwork done by local businessmen Ciaran Staunton and Sean Mackin, there wouldn’t be any additional funding to improve the aging program.

And, said Campbell the outstanding work done by Carmel, Bridie, Peggy, Julia and Nuala in preparation for the Wednesday’s club really brings the whole thing together.

The center, which has an annual budget of approximately $500,000, gets its funding from various sources, with much of it coming from the Irish government.

For more information on the Lunch and Afternoon Social Club contact Kenny at 718-482-0909.

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