By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
After a lunch of hearty ham and bean soup, topped off with cherry crunch dessert, the seniors in Pemberville claimed their places in the satellite senior center. On one side of the room, women cracked jokes as they played the card game “Seven.” On the other side, seniors quietly studied the hundreds of puzzle pieces spread in front of them.
Across Wood County, senior centers give older adults a place to gather for meals and stay in touch with their communities.
At the Pemberville satellite center, supervisor Janice Carter told the Wood County Committee on Aging last month that seniors gathering at Bethlehem Lutheran Church kept track of the construction of a new village water tower from their window seats at the church. They interacted with youngsters in the preschool program at the church, and they stitched quilts for children entering kindergarten.
The seniors were treated to ice cream at Beeker’s General Store down the street, and performances from visiting musicians. And Carter has been working on finding someone to offer exercise classes at the center.
“This is their site,” Carter said to the WCCOA board. “I want people to keep moving.”
The same goal is being achieved at the other seven senior centers in the county. During visits to the Grand Rapids center, the board met as seniors moved from lunch to an art class. And in Wayne, after lunch the seniors played for prizes in a competitive – but friendly – game of bingo. The seriousness of the players can be judged by the number of bingo cards they play at the same time.
All this activity got the board members thinking – do Wood County residents know about the bee hives of activity in the senior centers dotting the county? Each year, the WCCOA prints an annual report … but are people reading it, they wondered.
So following are some details and statistics about the offerings at the centers in Bowling Green, Perrysburg, Grand Rapids, North Baltimore, Pemberville, Wayne, Rossford, and Walbridge.
WCCOA Executive Director Alisha Nenadovich, pledged to continue the work started by her predecessor Denise Niese, who died last November.
“Through the continued efforts of our incredible team and the valuable support of our eight senior centers, WCCOA will maintain and expand programs that enhance quality of life for older adults in our community,” Nenadovich said.
Following are details in the annual report:
Programs Department – Danielle Brogley, director
In 2024, the programs department expanded its digital outreach. Through grant opportunities, additional areas of focus included social connections with veterans, continual caregiving training, additional education and outreach for those with Parkinson’s disease, and additional travel opportunities.
Through a literacy grant, training was offered at all eight senior centers, reaching more than 100 participants. This included cybersecurity training, internet basics, email basics, Apple phone and Android classes. Additional grant opportunities included a partnership with the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities for adaptive technology equipment and Healthy Aging grant for laptops and laptop training.
The 2024 LivelyU Lifelong Learning Academy hosted 42 classes with 170 participants in partnership with Bowling Green State University Optimal Aging Institute.
The Care Compass Project, in its eighth year, continues to provide caregiver training each quarter, with more than 34 caregivers supported in 2024.
The programs department also worked to increase community engagement. Through the development of a Veterans Coffee Social once a week at the Wood County Senior Center in Bowling Green, a stronger support system was created for area veterans. The group started with three to five participants, and by the end of the year was up to 15 to 20.
Other community engagement efforts included Senior Day at the Wood County Fair, with more than 560 participants, which is up slightly from 2023. The 90s Plus Spectacular celebration for those 90 and older included 110 participants last year, and the Golden Care Awards honored 28 caregivers, which is an increase from nine the year before.
More travel opportunities were also offered through the WCCOA.
“These achievements signify our department’s dedication to empowering and enriching the lives of older adults in our county, and we remain committed to enhancing the lives of those who access our services,” Brogley said.
Social Services – Lisa Myers, director
Several older Wood County residents were helped by WCCOA Social Services, according to director Lisa Myers.
“One of the highlights being our ability to assist older adults with maintaining their independence through needed home repairs and home modifications,” Myers said. “Having a home that is safe and accessible to our needs as we age is vital to one’s ability to age in place.”
WCCOA was able to use four funding sources, totaling nearly $200,000 for home repairs. Fifty older adult residences in Wood County were served in 2024 with improvements like installing ramps, modifying bathrooms, adding grab bars and railings, plus repairing or replacing roofs and furnaces.
Another grant was used to purchase new durable medical equipment for a loan program. Items such as new wheelchairs, shower chairs, and raised toilet seats were purchased to update the inventory at WCCOA.
Other social services provided included:
- Information and referral contacts: 2,154, a 3.6% increase from 2023.
- Home-delivered meal assessments: 788, a 5.5% increase from 2023.
- Medicare consultations: 213, a 15.8% increase from 2023.
- Medical transportation: 1,241 in northern Wood County, and 1,012 in southern Wood County.
Food Service – Angie Bradford, director
Last year, the WCCOA saw an increase in congregate meals served at area senior centers. Nearly 70,000 congregate meals were served to 1,800 unduplicated clients at seven senior centers.
“Older adults in Wood County are staying active and enjoying the socialization and interaction that congregate sites offer,” said food service director Angie Bradford. “An invitation from friends, an exercise group, or a computer class may bring them in, but they’re also taking advantage of the hot, nutritious lunches provided Monday through Friday.”
The home-delivered meal program also continues to grow. In 2024, more than 157,000 meals were served to residents who are considered homebound or frail.
“These nutritionally at-risk individuals may not have access to a health meal – or a regular visitor – if not for the home-delivered meal program.”
Meal recipients who responded to a survey reported eating healthier and maintaining proper weight. Many noted that the meals help them remain in their homes and reduce the number of trips to the grocery store.
Volunteers – Stephanie Spencer, coordinator
In 2024, 227 volunteers gave more than 12,034 hours of their time to help provide programs, meals and services.
“Without their kindness and commitment, we wouldn’t be able to achieve our mission to provide older adults with services and programs which empower them to remain independent and improve the quality of their lives,” said Stephanie Spencer, volunteer coordinator.
There are 100 home-delivered meal routes driven each week by volunteers, spending 5,345 hours making deliveries last year. And at the eight senior center locations, there are 28 volunteers who provide kitchen and dining room help, spending 1,500 hours serving meals and cleaning dining rooms.
The front desk at the Wood County Senior Center in Bowling Green is staffed by 11 volunteers.
The WCCOA Board is made up of 15 volunteers.
An increase was seen in volunteer hours for the programs department, reaching a total of 1,176 hours compared to 800 the year before. The boost in hours reflect the growth of programs, including a variety of new exercise classes and additional courses in the LivelyU program.
Anyone interested in volunteering may call 419-353-5661 or visit wccoa.net.
