Don't forget our senior citizens

To the editor:

Thank you for producing the annual Living in Riverdale brochure and distributing it widely with The Riverdale Press. It is a wonderful resource for all of our neighbors.

I am especially pleased that the latest edition spotlights some of our mom and pop stores. It brought back fond memories of the Treasure House and the lovely couple who ran our North Riverdale toy store. Our small retail establishments can certainly contribute to a sense of community and local identity.

I was disappointed that the 2017-18 edition of Living in Riverdale omitted our neighborhood senior centers, where people 60 and older stay active and engaged in the community through exercise, arts, discussion and food. People of all ages volunteer at our centers, and this is the time for baby boomers to help fashion a local post-retirement hangout.

The centers are listed along with a wealth of information in Bronx Community Board 8’s Senior Resource Guide, available at the board’s office at 5676 Riverdale Ave., or at NYC.gov/bronxcb8.

One more point: Past editions placed nursing homes in the “seniors” section. If (hopefully) you include this section in the future, please move nursing homes under “health care,” which is more fitting. Older adults continue to be active contributors to our community, and are the most loyal customers of our local retail stores.

Lisa Daub

The author is chair of Community Board 8’s aging committee.