PACOIMA : Senior Centers Join, Open New Facility

Two centers for senior citizens in Pacoima merged and opened a new, larger facility on Glenoaks Boulevard this week.

The new Northeast Valley Multipurpose Senior Center is larger than the Pacoima Senior Center for United Concerns and the Pacoima Senior Citizen Multipurpose Center combined. The two groups will work together out of a new building owned by the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.

The new name is also meant to help draw more clients from beyond Pacoima, said Ethel May, co-director of the new facility, who had been director of Pacoima Senior Citizens for United Concerns. Clients come from as far away as Sunland and Tujunga, Sylmar and Sun Valley, she said.

“We have more room now than we ever had in 20 years,” said May, whose group was founded in 1974.

The new facility opened on Tuesday and is expected to serve as many as 300 senior citizens a day when it becomes fully operational next week, May said.

“We will have the space where we can increase our program and we can increase participation and have adequate space to move around,” May said.

The center has already started its nutrition program, which serves hot lunches to seniors. By next week other programs such as tax counseling, podiatrist services, dancing, and blood pressure monitoring may be up and running.

The new facility includes a game room with pool tables. The center is at 11300 Glenoaks Blvd. The new phone number is (818) 834-6100.