Area Seniors, Inc. in Bellaire, Antrim County
TYPE OF GRANT
Capital Challenge Grant
AWARDED
January 2010 – $10,000 matching grant for the Senior Activity Center, Campus Project Phase II
June 2011 – $15,000 Senior Activity Center Interior
TOTAL LEVERAGE
The initial $10,000 grant directly leveraged an additional $20,000 in matching funds in two months. The bulk of these contributions were by private donors. Other grants were awarded by the Oleson Foundation and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, along with a “very substantial donation” by long time Bellaire residents Herb and Florence Reiley.
Today over 60 area Seniors enjoy a warm meal served daily at the Bellaire Senior Center, then walk to the Area Seniors Activity Center for fellowship and activities. An adjacent Senior Park is now being planned and will include pickle ball and shuffleboard courts, as well as landscaping and flowers. Walking paths connecting nearby senior apartments and the Senior Center provide a safer and relaxing route.
SUMMARY
Four facilities now occupy the Area Seniors Activity Center site in Bellaire. In addition to the Center, a storage building for yard sale items for the Center’s weekly sale; a rental unit occupied by the Antrim County Commission on Aging; and a storage facility for used furniture that’s marketed. There’s even room on campus for a weekly farmers’ market. The grant from the Tribe also allowed the Center to construct a unique walking path. All of this has been accomplished without using tax dollars and by dedicated Seniors making a better place for themselves and neighbors.
COMMUNITY NEED
With a growing Senior population and limited space (the Bellaire Senior Center was already over crowded), Area Seniors now have a place to call home. A total of four facilities provide a range of services, while the Activity Center complex is positioned to continue its growth and serve the needs of its users. As for the future, Area Seniors, Inc., is planning the next phase of growth for those who will become future residents.
Ray Mills, President of Area Seniors, Inc.
“What I see…..”
“When the first Rotary Charities grant was announced I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. It was not what we asked for. And there was also a $20,000 challenge component to it.
“What happened over the next two months completely shocked me. Not only did we raise the match largely through private donations and some yard sale proceeds, but even after we met our goal, the money continued to come in.
“It has been a dream that was realized…
“The Bellaire Senior Center and Area Seniors, Inc., are separate organizations, but both are advocates for Seniors. If we had waited for government to step up and provide services, we’d still be waiting. It was Rotary Charities that provided the catalyst for what we now have…”
