Tom Maguire/THE SUN CHRONICLE Agreement to aid senior citizens Attleboro Council on Aging Director Madeleine McNielly, left, examines an emergency food kit during Thursday's official signing of a "Memorandum of Understanding" to designate Christopher Heights at South Main Street in downtown Attleboro as a safe haven The agreement was signed by Mayor Kevin Dumas, center, and Executive Director of Christopher Heights Walter Ohanian, right.
Attleboro establishes safe haven for seniors BY JANETTE SEARS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
ATTLEBORO: With the signing of a "Memorandum of Understanding" Thursday by Mayor Kevin Dumas and Executive Director of Christopher Heights Walter Ohanian, "Designated Safe Haven for Frail Seniors" is officially in place. <br><br>Dumas and Ohanian signed the memorandum at Christopher Heights at the reques of Council of Aging Director Madeleine McNielly, who has spearheaded the new program on behalf of the Council on Aging. McNielly said she initiated the program shortly after Dumas called her last year about the possibility of a local dam giving way, and the possible need to evacuate senior citizens. Cosidering the needs of the city's more frail senior citizens, McNielly said she began to search for a way to accommodate those seniors in need of special care. Through grants, donations and an offer from Christopher Heights to provide shelter and	assistance for up to 30 frail senior citiens for up to two weeks, the program will provide that special care, should the need arise. Hopefully, it's something we'll never neeed, but if there is something that we do neet it for, at least we know w have the facilities for it, and now we have the proper equipment for it too, which is nice," Ohanian said. Ohanian was referring to the air bed and emergency kits that McNielly has been able to purchase with the grant funding she has receive for the program. "We appreciate Christopher Heights as a member of the community coming forth," Dumas said to Ohanian. "Madeleine's been a great advocate for senirs, and so have you to come forth for such a great cause that in the case of an emergency, we are prepared.