“The congressional federal funds that I directed to the Washington Township senior center are especially needed as the township has nearly doubled its population in the last ten years,” said Rep. Chris Smith who wrote a line item earmark for federal funds into the law for the Washington Township Senior Center in 2001.

    “I fought hard to get federal funding specifically earmarked in the law for the Washington Township senior center. Our senior center is a great facility that already serves as a key focal point for many senior programs and services. 

    “The added federal support which I put into the law will ensure that our center is able to accommodate and facilitate more seniors and more programs. The congressional earmark for funds represents a good federal-local partnership that benefits our seniors,” said the Republican now in his 13^th term. 

    Smith created the line item into the federal funding for Washington Township several years ago after it became apparent that there was a severe lack of space at the senior facility. The federal funding, which was provided for Washington Township via Mercer County, was part of the Fiscal Year 2001 Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development Appropriation bill which provided a specific Economic Development Initiative grant for the township’s senior citizen center. 

    More recently Smith worked with Mercer County officials and officials at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that the funds that had been set aside for Washington could be appropriately pipelined to the program. 

    Among other enhancements, the federal funding can be used to improve the use of space for classes, seminars, nutritional programs, and other activities beneficial to senior citizens.