LOWER MERION – Lower Merion Commissioners this past week approved a new five-year lease with ElderNet for its operations at the Bryn Mawr Community Center and Ada Mutch Food Pantry.

The community center is next to Bryn Mawr’s Ludington Library at Bryn Mawr and Lancaster avenues.

“As most of you know, we lease two buildings at the Bryn Mawr Community Center property to ElderNet for their operations,” said Ernie McNeely, Lower Merion Township manager. “The Ada Mutch Building, they lease the entire building, and that’s where they operate their food pantry. And then they lease two floors of the Bryn Mawr Community Center for their operations.”

The township shares space in the community center with ElderNet.

“The current ElderNet lease for their space in the Bryn Mawr Community Center is a 10-year lease and it expires on March 31, 2025,” according to the staff memo on the lease agreement. “The lease for the Ada Mutch Food Pantry Building was also a 10-year lease, however it expired at the end of 2023. Obviously for ElderNet to continue providing essential services to seniors and those in need of food pantry assistance both leases need to be renewed.”

Township officials said there is no need for two separate leases, so the township’s solicitor, Gilbert High, drafted a new lease document incorporating all the necessary teams from each lease.

According to its website, Eldernet’s mission “provides a safety net for older and disabled adults to help them remain in their homes with dignity and strengthens food and financial security for all community members in need of support.”

The food pantry is named in honor of longtime Lower Merion resident Ada Mutch who passed away at the age of 106 in 2012, shortly before her 107th birthday. Among her many accomplishments was that she served as a nurse during World War II.

At the time of her passing ElderNet officials wrote, “Ada volunteered for ElderNet for many years as a driver, friendly visitor, officer and personnel committee chair – most of the clients she drove were years younger than she! Ada is also the inspiration and namesake for ElderNet’s latest service delivery program, The Ada Mutch Community Resource Service Center. Ada was an amazing woman, and words are difficult at this time.With fond regards.”

The lease was discussed during a Lower Merion Open Space and Properties Committee meeting and later approved during a commissioner’s meeting.