Scottville Senior Center to celebrate 50 years today at open house

The opening of the Scottville Area Senior Center in its present location, 1980.

Scottville Senior Center to celebrate 50 years today at open house

Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central Schools in partnership with Mason County Press. 

SCOTTVILLE — The Scottville Area Senior Center, 140 S. Main St., is celebrating 50 years of service today during an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will include special guest Mary Jo Holmes, the director’s original director.

The senior center is a service of Mason County Central Schools. It began on Oct. 2, 1973 at 108 N. Main St., what is now the south side of North Country Cafe.

The creation of the center evolved from the passage of the Older Americans Act, approved by Congress in 1965, which recognized the needs of older Americans and authorized federal funds to address those needs.  One way to meet some of those needs was through senior centers.

A senior center is a community center where older adults can congregate to fulfill many of their social, physical, emotional and intellectual needs, and where they can get a variety of services, including information and referral to helpful programs.

Because the federal funding could not be used to acquire a building, James Nastold an administrator at MCC, supported the concept and MCC Schools decided to provide the building.  Another vital role was played by Carolyn Beeker, director of the Ludington Area Senior Center which had opened the previous year. In 1980 MCC purchased the building at 140 South Main Street.

Director Mary Jo Holmes served 26 years at the center.  She was a diligent advocate for obtaining community support and helped establish Mason County millage funding for senior programs in 1988.

Donna Addington followed Holmes as the SASC director from 1999 through 2013. She spearheaded a fundraising campaign to add an adjacent building to accommodate the expanding programs and participation by seniors.  The addition of the new space was completed in 2011. Marcia Visscher followed as third director, serving from 2013 to late 2018. Bill Kerans as served as director since 2013.

The Scottville Area Senior Center is one of the organizations that is funded by the Mason County Senior Millage. Funding is also received through Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan for our Homemaker, Respite Care and Medical Transportation programs—county-wide services available to all qualifying Mason County residents.

To get more information about what SASC offers, call 231-757-4705 or click here: www.scottvilleareaseniorenter.com.