Salamanca Area Senior Center To Receive New Roof Thanks To Grant Funding from Senator Young

SALAMANCA– Facing a roof that had leaked for three years and was close to total failure, the future of the Salamanca Area Senior Center was in jeopardy because the organization thought it would have to move.

A $100,000 grant secured by Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I- Olean) will allow the roof to be fixed, sparing the Senior Center from losing its current location.

“Area seniors have spent their lives raising their families, enriching our communities, and working to better New York State. Ensuring that they have a safe location where they can enjoy their golden years is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to them for all they’ve done. The Salamanca Area Senior Center is truly a worthy cause. A warm meal, daily activity, and mental stimulation all improve the quality of life for our seniors,” said Senator Young.

“The Salamanca Area Senior Center’s building has had many uses over the years, and replacing the roof will allow it to continue serve as a home-away-from-home for the area’s senior population. Everyone involved in the center is so enthusiastic about their work and bettering the lives of those who visit. It is a true labor of love for all involved,” she said.

The entire project is estimated to cost approximately $170,000 and includes the removal and replacement of the building’s roof, as well as several other projects. The City of Salamanca, the building’s owner, is contributing the remaining $70,000 to complete the project.

“I’m happy to be joining Senator Young in announcing this opportunity to improve the City’s Senior Center with the replacement of its roof,” said Assemblyman Joseph Giglio (R,C,I- Gowanda). “Enhancing the quality of life for senior citizens is an important function of our municipalities, and in this particular case, the improvement of this building will benefit Salamanca’s Main Street business district, which also enhances the value of the general area. This is a worthy and beneficial project, and I’m pleased that Senator Young was able to provide assistance.”

“I would like to thank Senator Young for assisting myself and the City of Salamanca in acquiring a grant that will help us replace the Senior Center roof. As always, Senator Young is available to help our city in a moment’s notice and I think I can speak for the residents in saying how much we appreciate what she does for us. The Senior Center has become a vital part to our community and our seniors. I will do everything I can to help our seniors in maintaining the Center,” said City of Salamanca Mayor Ronald Ball.

“On behalf of the officers, board members and entire membership of the Salamanca Area Senior Center, we want to thank Senator Catharine Young for securing a $100,000 grant and the City of Salamanca for the contribution of $70,000 to replace the roof on our Senior Center. This will ensure many more years of providing a safe haven not only for our seniors, but for the community,” said Eugene Puvel, President of the Salamanca Area Senior Center.

The Salamanca Area Senior Center offers older residents a place to gather and provides seniors with a variety of activities that enhance their quality of life. Programming run at the center provides nutritional, physical, mental and spiritual support for area seniors. The city had approved the replacement project earlier this year, and Senator Young secured the grant to ease the city’s potential budget constraints.

During renovations, the existing rubber roof insulation will be removed along with the stone ballast so that repairs can be made to the water-damaged sections of the wood deck. Materials containing asbestos will be removed and disposed in a safe manner. New insulation will be installed to comply with current energy codes and masonry repairs will be made to the building’s chimneys. A new roofing system with a 15-year warranty will be installed, along with new aluminum flashing on the entire perimeter of the building.