By Khalida Sarwari
A crowd of more than 100 elderly residents congregated at San Jose City Hall this morning to appeal to elected officials to save the city’s senior centers and nutrition programs that are at risk of being cut due to the city’s $116 million budget shortfall.
The rally and news conference, organized by the Health Trust and Aging Services Collaborative, drew an energetic group of senior citizens and a handful of elected leaders, among them council members Sam Liccardo, Ash Kalra, Pete Constant, Kansen Chu, and Mayor Chuck Reed.
Collin Jory, who attends the Gardner Community Center, said seniors have contributed to the city’s economy more than any other socioeconomic group.
“Now you want to kill the Gardener Center,” Jory said. “Shame on you. If you close the senior centers, seniors will die.”
Gardner, along with the Alviso Community Center, are both slated for closure as of July 1, according to the Health Trust.
In March, the council voted to consider turning over 21 additional community centers to the city’s reuse program, which would reduce or eliminate services and employees depending on the availability of nonprofit organizations.
The city has yet to find nonprofit organizations to provide services at the Alma Youth and Senior Center.
Jane Kizer, a member of the Berryessa Community Center, said that for her, the center is a place to escape loneliness and enjoy a meal with other people.
“When you eat together, you become family,” Kizer said. “Mother Theresa said the worst form of poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved. How can you sit down and have a fancy lunch and not think about what you’re doing to these people? It’s wrong.”
Constant said he recently proposed a senior nutrition task force comprised of community leaders, members and city and county nutrition experts, to assess long-term solutions to maintaining the program.
“We are going to look for a way to create a program that is sustainable, that is reliable and that you’re going to go for your nutrition needs,” Constant said.
In an emphatic address, Reed conceded that the nutrition program, as well as the centers, is a vital component to the quality of life of the elderly in San Jose, but maintained that the city is facing the most difficult fiscal situation in its history.
He said concessions would have to be made in order to save vital programs. Reed is asking city employees to agree to a 10 percent cut in wages and benefits.
“Make no mistake about it, these are tough times,” Reed said. “But you need to be engaged.”
Reed urged residents to participate in the budget hearings, with the next one scheduled to take place at the 7 p.m. council meeting on Tuesday.
Friday is the deadline for council members to complete their proposals and submit them to the mayor. On June 4, Reed will release a budget message. The council will vote on the final budget on June 15 and 22.