New Bedford Buttonwood Park Senior Center Returning

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — Beginning next month, the traditional senior center will return to Buttonwood Park.

The decision behind the change was made by the New Bedford Council on Aging. The group plans to move Adult Social Day Care services from Buttonwood Park to the Brooklawn Community Center in the North End and the Rosemary Tierney Community Center at Hazelwood Park in the South End.

The move comes a year after the COA consolidated the Adult Social Day Care services to Buttonwood and shifted traditional senior center programming to Hazelwood and Brooklawn.

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At that time, Mayor Jon Mitchell noted that the Senior Day services previously being run at the Rosemary Tierney Community Center at Hazelwood Park and the Brooklawn Community were nearing capacity.

After achieving higher staffing levels, assessing the current demand for services, and exploring multiple locations to cater social day care programs to senior wellness levels, the COA decided to reverse its decision.

The Buttonwood Senior Center will revert to a traditional senior center and feature activities like bingo, wellness instruction, social gatherings and educational offerings. The changes take effect May 13.

"We are constantly evaluating our programming and listening to the feedback of those served at our centers," said New Bedford COA Director Pamela Amaral-Lema.

"The return of traditional senior center programming to Buttonwood and moving social day care services to the North and South Ends of New Bedford will result in the COA offering better services to the city's seniors," she said.

May 10 will be the last day for services at their current locations. Starting May 15, Buttonwood will only host traditional senior center programs and offerings, while Hazelwood and Brooklawn will only service Adult Social Day Care participants.

Special events will be held to celebrate the new locations, including the Adult Social Day Care participants' luncheon at the Fort Taber Community Center on May 13.

The Buttonwood Senior Center will host a catered lunch and entertainment on May 17.

Reservations are required for both events and can be made by calling the COA at (508) 961-6250 by May 8.

Those interested can also stop by the Buttonwood Senior Center that week and complete a survey of programs or activities they'd be interested in.