At Denny Dobbs Park on Tuesday, more than fifty local elders and a number of county officials commemorated a historic event as shovels dug into the ground to start building a new Senior Enrichment Center, which will serve as a vital community hub for Newton County’s aging population. The building, which is located off Highway 212, will provide residents with quicker access and more space for the growing elder programs, the county announced. Attendees were informed by Newton County Chairman Lanier Sims that “this enrichment center is more than just a building, it is a testament to our community’s commitment to honor and support those that have paved the way for us.”
When finished, the project, which is anticipated to open in September 2025, will expand the horizons of the local senior citizens. It will have an estimated 11,000 square feet of flexible space, including meeting rooms, administrative offices, and a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational areas. The project will be located on a 5-acre site. Even after two expansions since 2020, Newton County Senior Services’ current hub at the Josephine B. Brown Senior Center continues to see a growing membership of 502, up 144 or 29 percent from the previous year. This indicates the critical need for the new enrichment center and its programs. The $4 million allotted by the 2023 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is used to finance the new construction.
“The work we do for others is the rent we pay to live on this earth,” said County Manager Harold Cooper during the groundbreaking ceremony, reflecting on the significance of servicing the elderly population. Newton County Senior Services Director Freda Reed thanked the county and its residents for the ongoing assistance. “Thank you for joining us this far on our journey to build facilities in Newton County that are not just buildings but places for seniors to be with their peers while they enjoy recreational and educational opportunities,” Reed stated in the county’s official report.
The planned enrichment center is expected to foster intergenerational relationships by serving as a place for mentoring and wisdom-sharing in addition to serving as a gathering place for senior citizens. Officials like County Chairman Lanier Sims and County Manager Harold Cooper continue to push for areas where seniors can make friends and participate in life-enriching activities while also acknowledging and celebrating their essential role in society, as the community watches these ideas come to fruition. Sims’ comment to the county’s official report mirrored this view, highlighting the contributions of seniors as “keepers of our history, the mentors of our youth, and the backbone of our community.”
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