Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall: Lifelong Communities

At the recent grand opening of the 's , library Director Paula Kelly noted how local demographics have shifted to favor older generations.

Signs of this shift can be seen in the many organizations around Brentwood Borough and Baldwin-Whitehall that offer services and activities geared toward boomers and seniors.

In addition to many fun weekly activities, from book clubs to movie showings, the Whitehall library's new café also offers important services, such as upcoming sessions on Mondays, April 4 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As the library's adult program coordinator, Denise Ignasky is an excellent resource for information on senior citizen-related activities.

"All the (local) libraries have programs for seniors," Ignasky said. ", Brentwood and Pleasant Hills."

At , a Senior Citizens Academy meets every third Tuesday from October to March.

"They have speakers, lunch and bingo," Ignasky said.

The group, which meets in the high-school cafeteria, is still going strong after almost a decade.

"There really wasn't anything going on in the area (for seniors) back then," said Mell Schlernitzauer, co-founder of the group. "So, (the late) Stanley Bugielski and I started the group.

"We've been going along pretty good for about nine years now."

While the Senior Citizens Academy won't meet again this year, there are a growing number of similar opportunities near Baldwin-Whitehall for seniors to meet and to stay active.

The Brentwood Library and John F. Slater Funeral Home, for examples, offer seniors a variety of services and events.

"We have some of our own senior programs that we sponsor," said Chris Crompton, director of community outreach for Slater, "but then, there are also programs that go on in the community that we partner with to help them."

One such program is LifeSpan with its mission to "provide life transition management through education, support and advocacy that identifies options, fosters self-respect and is based on community and individual priorities."

Crompton pointed out that there is a LifeSpan location in at the complex. There is also one at the Brentwood Library.

"They're huge senior centers," Crompton said. "At Brentwood Library, they're using the downstairs facilities for events, and that's something we've been helping partner with."

In addition to being a LifeSpan location, the Leland Point Senior Center offers many senior activities. For information on bingo games and other events at this location, call 412-655-1779.

One of the largest local events for senior citizens is the Allegheny County Senior Celebration in the Park, which will be held on Wednesday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the nearby South Park Fairgrounds. The event is free.

This will be the event's third year and is hosted this year by the Dignity & Respect Campaign, whose mission is centered around inclusion with the "belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect."

Internet-savvy seniors also can find a wealth of free information on the Pittsburgh Senior News website, which provides a variety of news on activities for senior citizens throughout the region.