Let’s All Support the J.O.Y. Center

Almost two decades ago, my mother told me she was helping her friend raise money for a senior center in Millcreek Township. After many stops and starts over the years, the project finally came to fruition as the J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Center in September 2013.

My mother and her friend are no longer with us, but they would be saddened to know that less than a year after its grand opening, the center will close on August 27. The Millcreek supervisors do not think it is worth the cost to operate it. The supervisors, who made this decision unanimously, have made it clear that they are done talking. They say there are already many senior centers in the area. If there are any such recreational centers in Millcreek, I am unaware of them.

The closing of the J.O.Y. Center should concern all Millcreek citizens, young and old, for many reasons. Here are just a few.

Funds were raised over many years for the center, and “bricks” were even purchased, which apparently are part of a mural at the center. Are years of fundraising dollars gone because of the decision of three men who refuse to discuss the matter anymore?

It seems odd that just months after the center opened, it was considered too expensive to run. Didn’t anyone do a cost analysis before deciding on the location and management of the site? Why were the supervisors so surprised at what it cost to run the center?

The senior citizens of Millcreek have paid taxes for many years to support a township that still has one of the best school districts in the commonwealth. They deserve our respect now.

We can help our seniors by showing the supervisors that not only senior citizens support the center. A group called “CCOM” or “Concerned Citizens of Millcreek” plans to hold meetings every Tuesday night until the center closes on August 27, less than a year after it opened. The supervisors are not expected to attend. Wouldn’t it be great if a large number of young citizens in Millcreek attended these meetings and supported our seniors?

If the Millcreek supervisors close the center, they should provide an alternative for the senior citizens of our township. They could appoint a commission to pick up the pieces and create a center that provides stimulation and recreation to our senior citizens in a cost-effective way.

Nothing against MECA, which manages the J.O.Y. Center, but it’s possible a third party is not needed to run it. The center could be largely managed and run by volunteers. Why not appoint a board of Millcreek senior citizens who would decide on the mission and vision for the center? In our township, there are many retired professionals who could share their organizational and leadership wisdom with their peers. The seniors could both run and attend the center.

Instead of taking the hard line approach, the Millcreek supervisors might listen to their constituents and consider the hard work and dedication of the people who had a dream for a senior citizens center and wanted to leave us a legacy. Many of the people who worked tirelessly for this center have passed away, and I am grateful for their hard work and dedication. All of us, if we are lucky, will grow old enough to someday benefit from a center that will help us stay connected and vibrant in our golden years.

Ann Silverthorn (Twitter: @annsilverthorn) is a blogger who writes about a wide variety of topics in numerous genres, including non-fiction, fiction, poetry, travel, and grant writing.