- Thomas County added $6,047.56 to its original $20,004 budget to hire a new staff member at the Scott Senior Center.
- The center serves 30–40 seniors daily with hot meals, games, and events — all completely free.
- Seniors, many of whom live alone, find community and purpose through daily programs and visits from volunteers and local kids.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Isolation is a real threat for many seniors in Thomasville, and the Scott Senior Center is their lifeline which is why extra funding was needed to keep it running strong.
I'm taking a closer look at how the YMCA partnered with the county to grow services and add staff for our seniors.
"It's a group of individuals in our community that we cannot overlook," said Tom Everet, CEO of YMCA. "Senior adults are very important, and we want to make sure that there's activities that they can participate in, and that's what Senior Center does."
That's why, after the center shut down during the pandemic, the YMCA stepped in to bring it back to life — partnering with the county in 2022 to reopen its doors.
This year, Thomas County budgeted $20,004 to help operate the center, but growing demand meant they needed more help.
An additional $6,047.56 was just approved to bring on a new staff member — someone who can make a real difference.
Everett says that staff is essential to keeping the center going from serving meals to leading games and simply making seniors feel seen.
"He goes around and sees what we need. What needs to be done. Alright, Pat, we need such and such a thing in there, da da da," said Patricia Howard. "He's a big supporter of getting items for bingo and different games. He comes in with bags and stuff that he personally has bought."
Howard runs the center day in and day out.
She tells me they serve about 30 to 40 seniors from across Thomas County. She knows everyone by name, eats with them, plays games, and keeps things fun with bingo and trivia.
Twice a week, they serve special meals, and every month ends with birthday celebrations and moments to remember those they've lost.
The YMCA also teams up with groups like Hands On Thomas County and the Rotary Club to bring in volunteers and kids for inter-generational activities.
"There are so many kids in here. I think it's more kids than we got clients in here today. And they love it. My people love it when the kids come in. They really love it. They get to socialize with them. And the kids love being with them. They like to sit down with them and talk with them and draw," said Howard.
Everett says public transportation is available at a very low cost to help seniors get to and from the Center.
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