KAPLOWITZ DELIVERS FOR SENIORS IN YORKTOWN, SOMERS AND NORTHERN WESTCHESTER
Renews agreement for satellite senior services office in Yorktown

For Immediate Release: June 5, 2007

Contact: Michael B. Kaplowitz, (914) 995-2848

Westchester County Legislator Michael B. Kaplowitz (D-I-WF, Somers), chairman of the County Board’s Budget & Appropriations Committee, joined by fellow lawmaker Bernice Spreckman (R, Yonkers), chair of the Generational, Cultural & Ethnic Diversity Committee, which oversees the Department of Senior Programs and Services, last night led the full Board of Legislators in a unanimous vote that will effectuate the renewal of an agreement between Westchester County and the Town of Yorktown to lease 720 square feet of office space in the Yorktown Community Center on Commerce Street for a satellite office for the County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS). The current agreement, which has been in place since 2002, is set to expire this August.

“This satellite office has been extremely instrumental in providing much needed senior services to those in the northern part of the County,” said Kaplowitz. “Keeping those services available to seniors in Yorktown and the surrounding communities is a responsibility I take very seriously.”

Kaplowitz thanked his colleague and long-time senior advocate Bernice Spreckman and DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter, for their leadership on this issue.

“It shouldn’t matter where you live in Westchester, all seniors should have access to whatever County services are available. We have to make it easy for senior citizens to get the assistance they need and that is exactly what this agreement does,” said Spreckman.

According to Kaplowitz, the new agreement will be modified to include an allocation of a portion of the leased space to Beaver Conference Farm (BCF) – a local, not-for-profit organization that helps those in need by connecting them with goods or services.

“The services provided by BCF will compliment the information and referral services provided by the County’s DSPS,” Kaplowitz said.