East Shore Senior Center Finds Home In Renovated Salperto Rec Center

NEW HAVEN, CT — Monday, elected and city officials joined Elm City seniors to celebrate the opening of the Salperto Community Center, at the repurposed former warming center of the Salperto Ice Skating Rink in East Shore Park.

The newly renovated facility will now serve as the home of the East Shore Senior Center and a site to house other future recreational opportunities and programs for residents of all ages.

The East Shore Senior Center was previously housed at the facilities of St. Bernadette Church and St. Pio of Peitrelcina Parish, at 385 Townsend Ave.

Now at the Salperto Community Center, located at 350 Woodward Ave., seniors on the east side of New Haven will have a new, convenient, and permanent facility to enjoy daily meals, programming, health and wellness activities, and community events.

The East Shore Senior Center is one of three senior centers run by the City of New Haven Department of Elderly Services. The department helps residents 55 and older to "maintain independence and remain active." The department, which runs three senior centers, provides case management and assistance referral services for residents with financial, medical, nutritional, legal and housing needs.

Monday’s ribbon-cutting for the new Salperto Community Center also marks the opening of the fifth renovated Youth and Community Center building opened under the Elicker Administration. The move is part of its "larger initiative to activate eight formerly underutilized city buildings in neighborhoods across the city to house high-quality youth, family, senior, and community programming for Elm City residents."

Among those at the ribbon-cutting were Mayor Justin Elicker, New Haven Elderly Services Director Tomi Veale, New Haven Youth and Recreation Director Gwendolyn B. Williams, City Engineer Giovanni Zinn, Alder Sal Punzo, and East Shore seniors, among others.