With an extremely important levy coming up on the November ballot, the Darb Snyder Holmes County Senior Center is facing plenty of financial challenges as it tries to find ways to continue to provide important activities and meals to the county’s senior citizens.
Tabitha Strouse, senior center chairperson of the board, said the objectives of the center are to continue to play an important role in the lives of area seniors who rely on their services and to find ways to remain a vital part of the lives of the county’s shut-ins and seniors, most of whom are on very limited budgets.
“The main goal of the levy is to simply keep us operational,” Strouse said. “Without a levy we will probably have to cut our services by two-thirds. We’re trying everything we can do to bring extra money in, but it’s difficult to do when you’re short-staffed.”
The proposed levy coming in November would ask property owners to pay approximately $9 per $100,000 per year, which is not a big amount but would be critical to the survival of the center.
With no county funding available to them, the senior center continues to face an uphill climb as it works to remain viable in the lives of those who depend on its resources, from food to fellowship.
What value does the center offer to its clients?
Their words speak volumes as to the important role the senior center plays in meeting the needs for the seniors, many of whom have helped build Holmes County into what it is today.
“After having been in an accident six years ago and being wheelchair-bound ever since, Meals on Wheels has been a huge blessing for me,” William Taillon said, “especially since my wife passed away last year. I always look forward to having my meals delivered.”
Not only do the nutritional meals provided by the center keep seniors well-fed, but also the companionship the drivers offer and the ability to check in on those who are shut-ins are invaluable.
“I am grateful for the center to bring my meals to me every day,” Joan Gray said. “I would be lost if the center would close. I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t have a car to do anything. I stay at home all the time.”
For Gray, the fellowship she experiences from the Meals on Wheels drivers is an important part of her life she looks forward to each and every day.
For those who can travel, the senior center provides a place of fellowship and fun, where seniors can get together to enjoy life and build relationships.
“I come to the senior center five days a week to get out and to see people to talk to,” William Augsburger said. “I have made a lot of good friends. I play bingo on Tuesdays at 10. The ladies really get into it and have a lot of fun.”
He said the center offers computer classes for free, provides books and puzzles they can take out, and he gets two square meals a day.
“It’s a great place to come,” Augsburger said. “The senior center looks out for me, and if I don’t come, they make sure I’m OK. They take you to the doctor if you need a ride too.”
It is the little acts of kindness for area seniors that make the center so critical to the well-being of the elderly in the county who have come to view the Darb Snyder Senior Center as their home.
Strouse said receiving the support from the community concerning this levy lets the senior citizens know they are loved and appreciated.
She said two-thirds of their funding comes from donations from the community and seniors who use their services, and last year the center made 28,000 home-delivered meals to area seniors.
Anyone who feels led to donate to the senior center may stop in weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or send a check to Darb Snyder Senior Center, 170 Parkview Drive, Millersburg, OH 44654. All donations are tax-deductible.
But most importantly, Strouse said a vote for the levy this November will let the seniors know others are thinking of them and want to support them in their golden years.
