Special Services for Senior Citizens was founded in 1980, as the elder services division of the renowned social service organization Recreation Rooms and Settlement, which has been assisting individuals and families in need for more than a century.
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Special Services for Senior Citizens was created and designed as a full time social service access point for elders in Brooklyn’s Community District 18, the first agency of its kind in the community. Founded with the conviction that senior citizens are an invaluable asset to society, Special Services for Senior Citizens has striven to assist elders to remain safe and active in their communities because a community with active and engaged elders improves outcomes for all.
Led by its former Executive Director, the late Rhonda Grand, LMSW, a pioneer in gerontological social work, Special Services for Senior Citizens has grown and expanded over its more than 30 year history and now serves senior citizens in Community District 18, Community District 16 and Community District 5 in Brooklyn. Over the years, the agency has participated in numerous coalitions, panels, working groups and workshops to promote the issues and causes vital to senior citizens. They include, The New York State Governor’s Interagency Workgroup on Long-Term Care, the Leadership Coalition of Brooklyn Community District 5, The Interagency Council on Aging in Brooklyn Community District 18, The Emergency Senior Services Citywide Advisory Council co-sponsored by the American Red Cross and the NYC Department for the Aging, and many others.
Special Services for Senior Citizens is also an affiliate member of the Hunter College Mount Sinai School of Medicine Geriatric Education Center. With a firm commitment to cultural competency, Special Services for Senior Citizens is an advocate and ally for older adults in all of Brooklyn’s diverse communities regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status or sexual orientation.