Highland Senior Center: Planning for Senior Center Without Walls

Highland County Senior Center Local Council members Sharon Hevener and Tim Duff, VPAS CEO Paul Lavigne, and Bath-Highland Regional Director of Senior Services Kathryn Coit met this week to begin developing a Transition Plan for a “Senior Center Without Walls” which will replace the Senior Center located in The Highland Center after September 30. Tim also met this week with the Highland Board of Supervisors, and Paul has been communicating with Betty Mitchell of the Highland Center.

Historically, the members of the Highland County Senior Center have also been members of a self-managed club known as the “Golden Oldies”. Tim and Kathryn were able to give this group the good news that the Board of Supervisors is making a modular building adjacent to the Highland Center available to them at no cost, so they may continue meeting Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as they have been. This building is normally used more in the evenings and is offered to county groups and non-profits. The only restriction placed on it, according to County Administrator Roberta Lambert, is that no private fundraising can be done on-site, i.e. an individual’s Tupperware party or something. The “Golden Oldies” will be allowed to bring some furnishings, their games and puzzles, and other small items from the Senior Center to this new location if they wish.

Efforts are underway to recruit volunteer drivers to provide transportation for those “Golden Oldies” members unable to drive or get a ride on their own through the local Evangelical Association and Ruritan Clubs. Regularly scheduled transportation in the VPAS van will continue through September.

“Golden Oldies” members will be allowed to purchase a meal from the VPAS kitchen at cost, rather than at the previous Senior Center member donation level, or may arrange potlucks, brown bag their lunches, or possibly get meals from a local restaurant. These details will be up to their own decisions beginning October 1. Regular congregate meals will be provided as usual until then.

Watch this site for updates as these changes and the development of new senior programming in Highland County progresses!