New SCOPE centers open options for area seniors

New and current centers received levy money.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

The number of SCOPE senior citizen centers Janet Schweitzer has to supervise is doubling from three to six this year, but she couldn’t be happier.

Schweitzer, the county’s SCOPE director, says the opening of three new centers will go a long way toward relieving the isolation and loneliness of the county’s senior citizens.

“Studies tell us older people tend to be lonely. Sometimes friends and family tend to fade away for them,” said Schweitzer, executive director of the nonprofit Senior Citizens Opportunity for Personal Endeavor Inc.

By providing additional locations and expanded services at the current locations, seniors will have the ability to meet new people and participate in new activities, she said.

“It is really a focal point for socialization and recreation — to get a new lease on life,” she said.

A center manager will be working at each location and will get feedback from the seniors on what activities they would like. Eventually, each location will have a schedule of events.

Source of funds

The money to operate the new centers was provided by the $2.6 million raised annually by the senior citizens levy approved in November 2005. County commissioners began distributing the money this year.

Among the funds being used by SCOPE is money to expand the Warren, Niles and Howland SCOPE centers and establish new centers in Lordstown, Champion and Cortland.

The Lordstown facility opened in the Gordon D. James Career Center in July. The Champion center opened Aug. 16 at 4447 Mahoning Ave. in the former Quizno’s restaurant in the Champion Plaza. The Cortland center will open Sept. 9 at 160 High St., next to Dairy Queen.

The Niles and Howland locations received allocations of $80,000, while the Warren center received $120,000. Amounts of about $49,000 were allocated to open the three new centers.

Reason for new centers

Schweitzer said the primary reason for having the new centers is to provide people with classes, games and other activities closer to home.

Schweitzer said SCOPE has 3,500 members, and a couple of hundred of those have addresses in Champion, so there are at least a couple of hundred people who might find the new location to be attractive, she said.

“We waited a long time for this,” said Ann Bobco of Champion when she attended the new Champion location recently. Bobco said she and her friends generally visit a senior center in West Farmington or the Warren SCOPE center. The Champion site will save here lots of time and gas: The round trip to West Farmington is 23 miles from her house, she said.

Schweitzer said it is hard to tell what each of the new centers will become in the coming years. The needs of the residents using them will dictate that to a large degree, she said.

The SCOPE centers in Niles, Warren and Howland will be able to expand their offerings with the new money, Schweitzer said, such as increasing their hours and programs.

In the cases of Niles and Howland, however, the money won’t go as far as because the city and township governments have reduced their financial contribution to the centers as a result of the new levy money, she said.

runyan@vindy.com