CLARION – Clarion County Commissioners learned Tuesday that the New Bethlehem Senior Center will close at the end of this month as part of broader efforts by Clarion County’s Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to manage budget limitations while continuing to serve as many residents as possible.
Next Monday, March 30, will be the final day of operation at the New Bethlehem site at the Redbank Valley Community Center. Candace Parson, executive director of the Clarion County Area Agency on Aging, said the decision was difficult but necessary, citing low attendance and rising costs. On average, four to six participants attended the center once a week, primarily residents of the nearby high-rise apartment building.
“We’ve tried outreach, but it hasn’t been as successful as we hoped,” Parson told county commissioners. “With budgetary concerns, we have to make sure we’re reaching the greatest number of people with the resources we have.”
Services previously offered at the New Bethlehem center will be shifted closer to where most participants live. Presenters, meal options and other activities will now be brought directly to Broadwood Towers to maintain access for residents.
Despite the closure, AAA continues to operate several other senior centers across the county. Centers in Knox and Leeper, both located in local fire halls, are open one day per week and continue to see strong participation. Knox operates on Tuesdays and Leeper on Wednesdays, offering activities such as exercise programs, guest speakers, presentations, and hot meals.
The Main Street Center in Clarion, located near the Haskell House, remains the agency’s largest facility. It is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and typically serves between 20 and 30 participants each day. Activities include crafts, exercise and social events, with socialization emphasized as a key benefit for older adults.
The Rimersburg Senior Center is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and regularly serves 10 to 15 participants. Bingo remains one of its most popular activities.
The agency also provides meals throughout Clarion County, serving approximately 26,000 meals annually to homebound residents and about 6,000 meals at senior centers. Meals are prepared by The Nutrition Inc. Group and distributed from the Main Street Center, where staff and volunteers package meals for delivery to homes, senior centers and an adult daycare program in Shippenville operated through the Clarion Forest Visiting Nurse Association.
Recent changes to the meal delivery schedule were also discussed. Due to rising delivery costs, the agency shifted from delivering hot meals three times per week to one hot meal and two frozen meals weekly. Officials said the change has allowed them to reduce delivery expenses and remove approximately eight people from the waiting list in the past month.
Participants at senior centers are asked to make a $3 donation per meal, though the donation is not mandatory. The agency reported that each hot meal costs about $5.25 to prepare, with an additional delivery cost of $5.83.
Budget challenges remain a concern, however.
With the impending closure of the New Bethlehem site, Parson cited the loss of COVID-related ARPA funding, delays in the Pennsylvania state budget, and ongoing uncertainty surrounding federal funding as reasons for recent service adjustments. While state funding was received in December, federal funds are still pending.
Officials emphasized that Pennsylvania Lottery funding continues to support aging services, though it is shared among multiple programs that serve older adults, including transportation and nursing facilities.
Despite financial challenges, Parson highlighted upcoming outreach efforts, including AAA Senior Day on May 7 at Zion Church. The event will feature vendors from across the county, health-focused services, speakers and a boxed lunch. The event is open to anyone age 60 and older, as well as caregivers and spouses of any age.
County commissioners were invited to visit senior centers throughout the year to see programs first-hand, an offer commissioners said they would welcome.
“We’re just trying to make sure people have access to get out of the house,” the director said. “COVID taught us that we are social by nature, and providing these spaces really matters.”