Jewish Association for Aging moves to new Bronx location

We assured members that JASA would do everything in its power to provide car service.”

Aisha Parillon, senior director, JASA

The Jewish Association Serving the Aging once held a space inside of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center at 3800 Sedgwick Ave. but, as of two weeks ago, the center relocated to 185 W. 231st St.

The JASA center, as it’s commonly known, provides a space for local seniors to socialize, participate in activities, and receive meals. 

Aisha Parillon is the senior director at JASA. She said the July 1 move was a long time coming, adding conversations with the Jewish center began more than a year ago when center officials informed JASA they intended to sell the building.

“It was unclear what the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center’s decision would ultimately be,” Parillon said. “So we had to ensure that we had a stable place to continue operating the older adult center.” 

Parillon said many conversations were held over the year on the possibilities of the older adult center potentially moving with the Jewish center or selling the building and both services remaining within. But, with no definitive plans, JASA officials felt it was best to decide in the best interest of the population they service. 

When planning for the move, Parillon said the older adult center considered affordability, what was available and the location of their members. Data of where members lived across the region was analyzed to assist in determining what areas made sense to move into. 

“We wanted to be sure we stayed within the community as close as possible,” Parillon said.  

Grace Amoye has been a JASA member for 14 years and, for her, the move to the new location has made accessing the center’s services more difficult. Amoye lives in the Amalgamated housing co-operative. When JASA was located inside the Jewish Center’s building, the walk would take her five minutes, but the new location is out of the way for her, not to mention expensive. 

“I took a cab coming back and it was $10, so that’s a problem,” Amoye said. 

Typically, if Amoye wants to visit the center, she now must take a taxi or bus and, with her current schedule, she visits only once or twice a week. She said she has also found the new location is in a far more congested area, with more people making it difficult for her to walk freely.

Amoye had brain surgery a year ago from which she is still recovering. It’s left her using a cane or a walker, depending on the day. 

Parillon said legacy members, or members that have been with the center during its time on Sedgwick Avenue, have been offered the opportunity to utilize a car service. 

“We assured members that JASA would do everything in its power to provide car service,” she said, adding there are currently several members using the car service, which is still available to those legacy members looking for transportation. 

Amoye said she was informed transportation could be provided for people to access the new location but, to her knowledge, the offer is a temporary one based on temporary funds, making it an unreliable source for her.

Parillon said, currently the older adult center has the funds to afford the transportation program with no comment on if there is an end in sight. She said, once discussion began about moving locations, membership was informed to ensure them JASA officials were doing everything they could to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Amoye remains unconvinced.

“Changes come, but this doesn’t seem like it was done for the better,” she said. 

Amoye is unsure what her future looks like with JASA at its new location considering her difficulties accessing it. She also said the new location has a set of steps she must climb with her walker, which has added an extra layer of difficulty to traveling. 

Despite the move to a new area and legacy members’ difficulties reaching the older adult center, Parillon said staff has reported seeing new faces almost every day, with at least 20 new older adults registered as members.