Grant to pay for new wellness facility adjacent to county Senior Center
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Governor Nathan Deal have awarded the Habersham County Senior Center with a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to expand the Habersham County Senior Center by constructing a new wellness facility.
The Habersham County Commission issued a news release Tuesday announcing the grant. The project will benefit 1,400 active Senior Citizens in the community who regularly use the Senior Center programs and facilities.
“Under the leadership of Mya Greene, former Habersham County Senior Center Director, we sponsored the first wellness program in our region of the State,” the release states. “The new 5,214 sq. ft. wellness facility will allow the Senior Center to expand its existing wellness programs.”
Officials say the expansion will allow the county provide a broader range of services and expand and increase the efficiency of the services currently offered to Habersham’s senior population.
The grant will fund 90% of the costs of the new construction. The County’s match to the grant will primarily be land provided for construction of the new facility, adjacent to the Senior Center.
Senior Center Director Kathy Holcomb says, “The Habersham County Senior Center staff and participants have been operating at a very high level, within limited space, for many years. This expansion will not only broaden the range of services provided, but will also expand the outreach programs that are so vital to the health and wellness of our senior population.”
The new facility will allow the current wellness programs to be consolidated into a separate, yet connected, facility. That will free up space in the existing building for other programs such as computer activities, crafts, and other popular activities.
The expansion project also is expected to benefit the county’s Meals on Wheels program which has been limited due to a lack of space.
