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Newington honors 40 years of service by Senior and Disabled Center
Summary
The Newington Town Council unanimously adopted a proclamation July 8 recognizing the Newington Senior and Disabled Center’s 40th anniversary and praised its volunteers, staff and programs. The council and a commission chair recounted the center’s grassroots founding and outlined six months of community celebrations starting July 30, 2025.
The Newington Town Council unanimously adopted a proclamation on July 8 recognizing the Newington Senior and Disabled Center’s 40th anniversary and praising the center’s staff and volunteers for a broad array of services to older and disabled adults.
Council members described the center as a community model for combating isolation and supporting families. “I want to join you in celebrating your 40 years and wishing you continued success,” Councilor Floyd said during the council’s remarks, noting the center’s small paid staff and robust volunteer base.
The proclamation read at the meeting cites the center’s founding in 1985 in the former New Meadow Elementary School, renovations completed in 1991 to create about 25,000 square feet of programming space, and later expansion and renaming as the Newington Senior and Disabled Center. The document lists services the center provides — Dial‑A‑Ride transportation, congregate meals and Meals on Wheels, health and exercise programs, technology help, an information and referral office opened in 2012 staffed with a social worker, and volunteer‑run amenities including a gift shop and coffee shop.
Karen Breer, chair of the Commission on Aging and Disability, presented a brief history of how local seniors organized in 1984 to secure space in the former New Meadow School. “We gathered people together and planned a strategy to wow the council,” Breer said, describing a coordinated public participation effort that persuaded the council to commit part of the building as a senior center.
Councilors singled out longtime volunteers and staff leadership for particular praise and noted the center’s state and federal recognition, including accreditation milestones and appearances in federal health reports cited in the proclamation. The council encouraged residents to join the center’s six months of anniversary events, which begin July 30, 2025.
The council’s adoption of the proclamation was procedural and passed by unanimous voice vote. The resolution asks residents and town staff to participate in the anniversary activities and to continue supporting the center’s services.
