Senior Center receives $100K grant

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WORTHINGTON — The Worthington Regional Health Care Foundation Inc. has provided the Senior Center Committee its biggest boost yet, announcing this week it will give $100,000 toward development of programming for The Center.

“In the past, a lot of our grants have gone to youth and nursing and health care scholarships for students. The foundation felt it was time to reach out to our seniors,” said Robert Demuth Jr., executive director of the foundation. “We’re happy to make an investment in our senior population.”

The grant will be used during a two- to three-year period for programs and activities that promote health and well-being of individuals in the community and surrounding area, according to the grant application. Specifically, monies will be funneled toward activities that combat loneliness and isolation, offer intellectual stimulus to combat dementia, and promote a healthy diet and physical fitness.

“It’ll open up some opportunities for some things,” said Senior Coordinator Alice Hoffman.

She will appoint a subcommittee to look into finding guest speakers for members of The Center, and hopes to line up a series of speakers.

Speakers may address health-related topics, or offer information, humor or a sense of well-being, she said.

“We’ll have some things in place when we move into a permanent facility,” Hoffman added.

The funds are supplemented by $5,000 raised from the sale of a 2010 calendar and a $61,000 operating budget from the city. The Worthington City Council also has authorized the use of up to $1.5 million for redevelopment of the former Worthington Area YMCA into a permanent location for The Center.

The foundation also awarded $10,000 to Helping Hand Pregnancy Center for staff’s efforts to reach students in southwest Minnesota with the message of abstinence and $13,000 to the Worthington Area YMCA Stingray Swim team for purchase and installation of a six-lane touchpad timing system in the pool.

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