In 1997, the Pell City Senior Center moved from the Ernest White Building to its current location on Comer Avenue. Since making the building its home, the center has served countless seniors in the area. Approximately 55 seniors a day spend time at the center, not including those that are homebound; who staff members deliver meals to.

According to staff, the building is around 5,000 square feet and is owned by the City, operating in conjunction with Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging, which provides the meals the center serves.

“I meet people who don’t have anyone in their lives to spend time with and I always encourage them to come be a part of the center,” Program Manager Lisa Abercrombie said. “This gives people a place to connect with others and have a great time.”

Seniors are given a space to socialize and participate in activities they might not be able to be apart of on their own. Mealtime is a big part of the day, with a weekly pancake breakfast served to the members in addition to the daily hot lunch the center serves.

The connection that the senior center provides goes beyond the walls of the building. Abercrombie’s favorite part of her job is watching members form relationships and seeing groups spend time together outside of the center.

The center is a hub of activity. With line dancing, bingo, meals and socialization, the main room becomes crowded quickly. City officials took note of the need and worked to meet it.

“The Mayor, City Manager, and Council have been with us every step of the way,” Abercrombie said. “We are so grateful for their help as we work on solving our space problems.”

The solution comes as an addition to the main room. The new adjacent room will measure 10×27 and become additional activity space, allowing members to have a designated space for cards, darts and other games.

Card players are currently playing Hearts and Phase 10 in the same room as 1,000-piece puzzles are put together, right next to the open floor where the line dancers practice. The addition will allow for a quieter, more spacious area for them. One of the avid card players, Ruth Stanley has been playing at the center for eight years, and is very excited for the move into the new room.

“This will give us a place to play where we won’t bother anyone, and we can have a little space to ourselves,” Stanley said. “We’re all really excited about it.”

Stanley comes to the senior center to play cards and visit with friends three or four days a week. She says that forming friendships at the senior center is the highlight of being a member.

“We’re like a big, extended family,” Stanley said. “When the center closed for Christmas, all of us got together to play cards so we wouldn’t miss each other over the holidays.”

This addition is something that the center’s staff is very grateful for. As the center continues to thrive, the added space is becoming a necessity.

“We are constantly growing, so we need the extra room,” Program Manager Lisa Abercrombie said. “We are very blessed with the building we do have, it is one of the nicest in the county.”

Abercrombie is looking forward to the projected completion of the room in January, and the increased ability to serve the members that it will provide. The expansion will allow program growth, and will increase the number of members who can comfortably spend time in the facility.