Seniors center opens in Austintown

AUSTINTOWN

Calling it a “dream come true” and “answer to our prayers,” area senior citizens praised the new center designed just for them.

Federal, state and local officials joined residents for the official opening and ribbon cutting of the Austintown Senior Citizen Center, 100 Westchester Drive, Wednesday morning.

“This is wonderful. I’ve been active all my life, but when you become older, you’re limited in the things you can do,” said Ann Clark of Austintown, adding the center is an “answer to our prayers.”

Clark was joined by Amanda Gregory, who also expressed excitement for the 5,000-square-foot center.

“The computer and exercise yoga classes are very interesting to me,” Gregory said. “It’s something I always wanted for Austintown and to see it come true, it’s like a dream. I’m happy seniors won’t be as bored and can come together in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Celtic Healthcare will provide free meals Monday, Wednesday and Friday, said trustee Lisa Oles.

Celtic has received a grant from the Area Agency on Aging to provide free meals to seniors at multiple locations in the Valley, she said.

“This has the potential to expand,” Oles said. “We encourage seniors to tell all of their friends and bring them down here to play cards and do puzzles. We want to plan trips, too, but we can only do these things with membership.”