Locals work to provide free park passes to seniors
Patricia Kolwicz fought back tears while explaining how she keeps her heat down to afford everyday necessities.
Kolwicz, 70, is one of many seniors who will have to pay $20 for an annual pass to use New Milford parks.
“People might think $20 isn’t much, but it is for some people,” Kolwicz said. “There’s a lot of money in New Milford... but they should be able to pay for passes for these seniors who are struggling.”
In between soft sobs, she said a park pass from the town would be a “nice gift” for struggling seniors, such as herself.
Some New Milford residents are looking to do just that – gift park passes through “Operation Park Pass.” The grassroots initiative allows people in town to sponsor park passes for local seniors.
“Operation Park Pass is an initiative to come together with the community, in which they can make a
donation through our non-profit, Helping Hands for Heroes, which will prepay for a park pass for a senior. And the donor has the ability to donate one park pass or as many park passes as they like,” Helping Hands for Heroes organizer Joe Quaranta said.
Residents can donate money to sponsor a senior’s pass by visiting the Helping Hands for Heroes website and filling out a form. The funds collected will be donated to the New Milford Parks and Recreation
Committee, with the stipulation that it be used for seniors’ park passes, according to Quaranta.
The initiative has raised enough money to cover roughly 50 passes thus far, Quaranta said. Helping Hands for Heroes was prompted to start the operation after the New Milford town council struck down a member’s idea to eliminate seniors’ park fees.
“Given the circumstances of COVID and the fact that they’ve really just paid their dues in our community... we felt like they paid their dues and that’s something that the community, as little as it
may be, say thank you and give back to them,” Quaranta said.
Seniors pay $20 for an annual pass, accumulating to roughly $6,000 in revenue for the town each year, a cost council member David Lawson argued could be covered by the parks and recreation department’s budget surplus.
Katie Golembski, a 67-year-old senior, found it “very unfair” for the council to continue charging seniors, especially during these harsh times. She believes the amount it costs to cover seniors’ park fees is “small potatoes” for the town.
“I’ve been a lifelong New Milford resident and I’ve paid my dues in this time,” Golembski said.
Golembski feels “betrayed” by the town. She “minimally” used town parks, sometimes going to eat lunch on a bench, people watch and take in some Vitamin D, she said.
But now, in the time of a pandemic, she feels as though she has to choose between paying for medications out-of-pocket or for a park pass.
“COVID has pushed a lot of people over the edge,” Golembski said. “I’ll find another place to sit outside and people watch.”