History

Ned Graham, President of the Dorchester Community Association, realized that there was a need for a Senior Center in this community. Ned asked the members who had retired and could walk the community and ring doorbells to survey their neighbors to determine if there were enough people interested in coming out to an “Eating Together Program”, a few times  a week. The members embarked on a bell-ringing campaign from Barrington Road on the north, to Hicks Avenue on the west, to Liberty Heights Avenue on the south, to Garrison Boulevard on the east. After finding out that there were many people who would support a Senior Center, not only eating together, but also as volunteers, Ned was ready to go full-speed ahead.

With the membership of the Dorchester Community Association assisting him, Ned wrote proposal after proposal in an effort to acquire funding for a Senior Center. After numerous proposals and disappointments, funding was finally appropriated too start a Senior Center.

The first few months were difficult, but Ned Graham kept the faith and so did the faithful members. After more than a year of meetings, hard work and meetings, the Greater Northwest Community Coalition, local residents, senior citizens and other interested parties finally saw their dream come true.

October 1, 1979, Forest Park Senior Center  opened its doors. Funding for the Senior Center was obtained through the Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement education (C.A.R.E) with help of fifth District Councilpersons Norma Reeves, Rochell “Rikki” Spector and Thomas J.L. Waxter, Jr.

The Forest Park Senior Center’s board of directors is as follows: Joseph Aton, Sr. (President), Arthur Gray (Vice-President), Colonel Lloyd. W Hollaway. PHD Secretary, James Camphor Jr, Member Sr.

Current activities at Forest Park Senior Center offers several card clubs, line dancing classes, health promotion and screening activities, senior aerobics, computer training sessions, bible study, and a travel club. The center is also a home to severals churches and The New Destiny Health Services provides services several days per week. To learn more about these activities, we invite you to visit Forest Park Senior Center...”A Place To Be”.