The Greenwood senior center is on the hunt for a new home while its facilities undergo some major renovations, and the clock is ticking to find an alternate location.
The Social, a space for seniors to come together during the week to socialize, share meals and participate in healing exercises, is looking for someplace to move those activities between April and October while the interior of the building at 550 Polk St. is updated to address the needs of the city’s growing senior population, Greenwood City Council member Linda Gibson said. She also serves on the board that oversees The Social.
The nonprofit recently received a $500,000 grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs to remodel the facility, and they’ve been working on designs for about a year now.
Plans include remodeling the inside of the building, including improving food pantry accommodations, adding square footage and creating more room for Rock Steady Boxing, a fun, non-contact treatment for people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Gibson said.
Initially, when the board applied for the grant, they said they would stay put until the last eight weeks of construction. But in order to attract better construction bids and get the work done faster, they decided to relocate all activities and services.
A lot of elderly residents depend on the senior center, Gibson said. They live alone, or they’re widowed, she said. So ideally, the move wouldn’t be far.
The Social is located just southeast of downtown, on Polk between Main Street and Smith Valley Road.
“We’re trying to find some space that might be available that could accommodate all of their needs,” Gibson said. “But it may be that we’ll have to split up our activities.”
Anyone who has an idea or is interested in helping can contact Gibson at 317-418-3031 or [email protected], or call The Social at 317-882-4810.
