Nutley Commissioner Steven Rogers announced today that he is expanding the Department of Public Affairs Senior Citizen Outreach Program.
Commissioner Rogers says that over the weekend he received a heart-felt letter from a senior citizen that motivated him to expand the popular and successful Senior Call Program. Part of this letter reads, “This is in reference to the article I read last week about your Senior Call program of which I found most inspiring and making a difference in people's lives especially that of Seniors. I have read over and over again about your wonderful works. I was just so impressed with the works that you and your staff are doing in reaching out to those who are alone and just simply in need of friends and social network. And as well as referrals and follow up, and so on. We have many Seniors and especially middle aged people like myself who are alone and in dire need of friendship, love, care, support, and concern. And I am almost sure that the overwhelming problems over here is that of depression, loneliness, and isolation which isn't healthy-not the least. I feel that the greatest human need is that of love.”
Rogers says that as a result of this letter and the hundreds of senior citizens who his office is in contact with, “we are creating an Adopt-A Senior Program that will include, not only phone calls to seniors but pen-pal letters to them. The letters will be written by high-school students who have volunteered for the program.
Commissioner Rogers says that this experience will be very educational for the students involved in the program, and no doubt a great help to seniors who need that friendship, care, love, and support.
Commissioner Rogers says he has a number of students who have signed up as pen pals but would like more to become involved. He urges students who are interested in this program to call 973-284-4976 and ask for Mr. Robert De Bello, or email the commissioner at commissionerrogers@nutleynj.org. He also urges senior citizens who wish to participate in this program to contact his office. All names are kept strictly confidential.
