Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein Announces Funding Grant for New Women’s Wellness Program at Riverdale Senior Services

RIVERDALE, NY -  State Senate Coalition Co-Leader Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) announced a $100,000 grant he secured for Riverdale Senior Services that will go towards a newly created Women’s Wellness program open to women across the Bronx.

While weekly wellness sessions have already started, a comprehensive 10-week program featuring fitness classes and a self-assessment component will launch in the fall. The program will be based on the federal program SHE (Strong. Healthy. Energized.), specifically designed for women 60 and over and is designed to benefit women of all ranges of mobility.

The announcement was made directly following a weekly wellness session in the exercise room where the program will primarily take place. At the announcement, Senator Klein was joined by Riverdale Senior Services Executive Director Julia Schwartz-Leeper, Geriatric Social Worker Patricia Werlau, LMSW and participating seniors.

State Senator Jeff Klein said, “The research is clear: developing healthy habits now will help fend off mental and physical issues later. That’s why I am proud that Riverdale Senior Services, which has been a touchstone of senior health and well-being in the Riverdale community for decades is launching a Women’s Wellness Program for local seniors. With the grant I secured, RSS will provide education tools and programming tailored for older women, while also giving participants a forum for focusing on their health in a fun, open environment. RSS’ program will go a long way towards arming older women with the tools, time and resources essential to creating a healthy, balanced lifestyle.”

Today’s announcement marked the second grant in a row secured by Senator Klein for Riverdale Senior Services. The initial funding has been used to refurbish the exercise room, computer lab and create walking/running track on the terrace.

Riverdale Senior Services Executive Director Julia Schwartz-Leeper said, “On behalf of Riverdale Senior Services, I am proud to launch this comprehensive wellness program for older women. Here at RSS, we have seniors who fall within a 40 year span, 75 percent of whom are women. I believe that this program, which would not have been possible without Senator Klein, will provide concrete, instruction and direction for the participating women. With this new wellness program, RSS is demonstrating that we offer a true range of programming for our seniors and I encourage women from across the Bronx to contact us to learn more.”

Patricia Werlau, Geriatric Social Worker, LMSW, Riverdale Senior Services said, “I have been privileged to work with a group of resilient woman these past several months. We have met weekly identifying wellness goals and supporting one another to achieve individual goals. The programs and services provided by RSS offer so many opportunities for healthy living and the grant money secured by Senator Klein had been put to good use as evidenced by the improvements in the facility and our new wellness program.”

Local seniors looking to learn more about the program can contact Andria Cassidy at Riverdale Senior Services by calling (718) 884-5900.