NB senior center has a new home

NORTH BALTIMORE — St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church is now home to the North Baltimore Area Senior Center. "It's very nice," said Angie Bradford, director of food service for the Wood County Committee on Aging. "It's very cozy, very homey." A December open house was attended by 40 people, according to Barb Bishop, site manager of the North Baltimore center. "It's a nice place and nice people," said Nancy Orel, interim executive director of the committee on aging. "They're excited to have us." "And the community seems excited," Bishop added. The senior center had been located at Westhaven Apartments since the late 1980s, said Bradford. "And COVID shut down all of our senior centers. Then the North Baltimore site manager at the time resigned. And so we just shut the doors there and were doing everything out of the Bowling Green site, the county senior center," she explained, But as they were later preparing to reopen, a burst water pipe was found. "And it had not been repaired in a timely manner so we went looking for something elsewhere, and this is what we found," Bradford said. She said they usually look at a few places with community members providing possible sites. But they're always looking to make sure it is handicapped accessible and has a kitchen, some storage space and parking, Bradford said. St. Luke's is located at 215 N. Second St. Center hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting Feb. 3, meals will also be served at noon, she said. The committee on aging has eight senior sites in Wood County. And while they all serve lunch, to-go meals are not available. "So if they're coming in for a congregate meal, they need to stay for lunch here," Bradford said. "But we do home-delivered meals for those individuals that are homebound, over 60 and in need of a daily meal and well check." The agency provides about 900 meals to all of its sites during the week. About 300 come in for lunch at one of the centers while some 600 meals are delivered to homes. Bradford said she expects to see that number increase once North Baltimore starts meal service. All of the food is cooked at the production kitchen in Bowling Green and then taken to each of the senior centers. Each meal provides 1/3 of the daily allowance for a 55-year-old male. "Eighty-year-old females are our number one clientele so they're eating well," said Bradford. "State regulations which Angie has to follow are very strict," said Orel. "And that's the only reason why you couldn't have takeout or you couldn't even technically take home leftovers." Once the food leaves the site, the agency couldn't be responsible for it anymore, she said. Membership is not required to eat lunch. However, registration is requested so there's enough food available. The cost is a $2 set donation for lunch. "The center is open to anyone 60 and older, but if grandparents bring their grandchildren in, there's $5 fee for anyone younger than 60," said Bradford. Activities include educational speakers and seminars, bingo, card games, board games, trivia, exercise, special events and trips. Once a month, birthdays are celebrated. The Wood County Health Department will also offer blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol screenings occasionally. This is Bishop's first time to serve as a site manager. "I love event planning and seniors. It all goes hand in hand," she said. Bishop noted that there are a lot of programs she's learned about while visiting some of the other sites. "You find out if the response is good or they try different things. We all as staff members get together once a month and share ideas," she said. The agency tries to offer something for everyone, she added, whether its exercise, cards, food or puzzles. "I know in Bowling Green there's people that come for the food and stay after. They just come for the socialization," she said. "Hopefully we'll just keep expanding and getting more people." Activities are printed in a monthly newsletter that is available on the agency's website at https://wccoa.net/ Volunteers are also being recruited at the North Baltimore center to help as drivers for home-delivered meals, to serve meals and to clean up afterwards.