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Local News

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Progress Edition: Business booms at senior center
By LINSEY MAUGHAN

STAFF WRITER

Nearly a year after moving into the former AMVETS Post 21 building, the Hancock County Agency on Aging is undertaking renovations and planning how to best use the additional space.

The senior center traded spaces with AMVETS last February, providing much-needed square footage for the senior center.

Leni Mueller, public relations and fundraising coordinator for the agency, said the number of seniors using the agency is up by about 1,000 since the relocation, bringing the total number of people receiving some sort of service from the agency to about 5,486, more than a third of the senior population in Hancock County.

Since moving to the 23,000-square-foot building at 339 E. Melrose Ave., the agency has seen the addition of a fitness center in the basement, funded by the Hancock Leadership class of 2009. The class raised money to buy six pieces of commercial-grade exercise equipment for the fitness center, as well a Wii system with Wii Fit, yoga balls, free weights and more.

In addition, the senior center has developed its own Senior Leadership program, which is a collaboration with Hancock Leadership and enables 30 seniors per year to participate in educational trips and activities.

The senior center has also become a provider of the Silver Sneaker program, a wellness and fitness program available through some health care plans. "Their insurance will pay for their membership to some sort of fitness facility," said Mueller.

Silver Sneaker program members can exercise and take classes at the agency's fitness center for free. All others can become members for $50 per year, or $75 per year for couples. Single-day visits cost $2.

The senior center has also remodeled the basement of the building to include new office spaces, which have fresh carpet, paint and, in some areas, drywall.

The west end of the building, which contains a large room, is under renovation now and will feature two movable walls, making it possible to divide the area into two or three rooms depending on the agency's needs.

The space will serve primarily as the new Senior Cafe, where the center's daily meals will be served.

The renovations to the Senior Cafe area are scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.

"We're moving forward on making bigger structural changes," Mueller said.

A fresh coat of paint can be found throughout the building, too. New carpet has been installed in some areas, while the original floors have been refurbished in others. Some new ceilings, doors and light fixtures have also been installed.

Future plans include the addition of a game room, art room and updated computer lab. A new elevator will also be added.

"This will all help with our programming that we already have," said John Urbanski, executive director of the agency.

"We really see ourselves becoming a community center with a senior focus," he said.

The green space surrounding the senior center has also seen upgrades. The agency received a $1,250 grant from Lowes over the summer, which was used to purchase plants and mulch at direct cost. Twenty Lowes employees came out and worked on the green space, replacing some of the old landscaping.

The agency has also received funding from internal fundraisers at Marathon and Advanced Drainage Systems, formerly known as Hancorp.

"We've just had a lot of wonderful things," Mueller said.

One plan for the future, Urbanski said, is to develop a pedestrian walkway to an open area of green space, as well as a 1,000-foot walking path.

Mueller said the renovation projects finished or under way in the building cost about $250,000. Combining the building's purchase price and all renovation plans, the total cost should be about $2.5 million, not including the full development of green space, according to Mueller.

Since moving, the senior center has also established memos of understanding with the Red Cross and Blanchard Valley Hospital, stating the senior center will provide a disaster relief center for people with special needs, as well as any time the Red Cross or hospital needs them.

"We're in the process of applying for grant monies to put in a generator," Urbanski said. "Hopefully it will never be needed."

The senior center now has more than 400 volunteers contributing to its operations, which Mueller said amounts to about 20,000 hours of labor and a savings of $300,000 to $400,000 per year.

"It's roughly the equivalent of 10 full-time staff members we're saving," she said. "The volunteers allow us to service a lot more seniors, and be there for the community (more) than if we were restricted to just our staff."

On the Net:

www.hancockseniors.org/



Maughan: 419-427-8417,




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