Senior Center offers companionship, meals, cheer By GINA HAMILTON • Staff writer
WARM SPRINGS - It's a cozy place just off Route 39 West, and tables are filling up for lunch at the Bath County Senior Center on Tuesday.
 | | Retired art teacher Pat Davenport works on a tabletop puzzle at the Bath County Senior Center in Warm Springs. (Recorder photo by Gina Hamilton)
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Four in the crowd are still glued to a challenging puzzle set up on a nearby card table - Pat Davenport, Pete Richmond, Mary McLaughlin, and Sam Donaldson.
The center's friendly director, Jeanne Apgar, walks among the tables to chat or help some with their meal trays.
"The center averages 18 seniors a day and we have 25 members," she said. "With the addition, we can accommodate 40." She was pleased to report that thanks to extensive volunteer efforts, the addition of a large room will be completed by the end of this month.
Apgar said, "I like that this is the No. 1 place for socialization. And a lot of our seniors don't drive anymore, so shopping is a really important component."
The facility, which serves those age 60 and older, is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with congregate meals served at 11:30 a.m. free of charge. Donations are accepted; meals are provided by Bath Community Hospital.
The days begin with a coffee social time, then activities range from exercise to nutrition and health education, bingo games at least once a week with prizes donated by merchants and churches, and weekly all-day shopping trips to Covington or Staunton.
In between there are trips to the Bacova Wellness Center for exercise, the Chicken Foot Domino championship, piano sing-alongs, singing at The Springs Nursing Center in Hot Springs and visiting clients, monthly birthday celebrations, and arts and craft projects under the guidance of retired art teacher Pat Davenport. He is organizing a gala Chinese New Year celebration for Tuesday, Feb. 20.
The center's piano players include Pete Richmond, Sam Donaldson and Marguerite Jones.
"We just started a genealogy program, so they're writing their own histories," said Apgar. "The first one is World War II memories."
Once a month the group meets at the library with two genealogists who come and help them with paperwork and computer research. Apgar said members "are having a lot of fun with it."
Participation in the many travel-dependent activities is made possible by the center's handicapped-accessible van, which can transport up to 13 seniors. For those who drive, Apgar said, "We have a program where if they carpool with at least three people, we get them reimbursed for mileage."
It's obvious she enjoys her job as director, which she has held for four years.
"I worked for Bath County Hospital and was a CNA (certified nursing assistant) for hospice, working with all the seniors," she said. "This opening came up and the hospital asked me. I was also the volunteer coordinator at the hospital, so I ended up qualifying. I love my job; we work with the hospital a lot."
Apgar is also trained to offer Medicare assistance to seniors, especially with online resources such as seniornavigator.org. Helping seniors can range from finding someone to build a ramp at a home to information about medications.
And she couldn't praise local efforts enough.
"The Bath County Board of Supervisors has given so much money to help us, through parks and recreation, we are just blessed. Anything I ask for, they give to us. They are so generous to the seniors in the area," she said.
"Right now, a lot of the guys working on the addition are from parks and rec, and on their day off they come over here and work on it. It's a great community," she said.
According to Apgar, $200 in contributions was donated by the Bolar Ruritans, and the seniors wrote letters and raised $2,000 for the addition.
She said the facility was established at its present site in 2002, but the county's seniors have met in different places for about 30 years.
Center funding
The facility is operated by the Valley Program for Aging Services in Waynesboro and funded through the Virginia Department of Aging and the federal Older Americans Act. The program also operates a program at The Highland Center for seniors in Monterey.
According to Valley Program fiscal officer Teresa Wilkinson, the allocation for the Bath County Senior Center is $36,000 without meals, and $17,900 for meal costs.
Iinformation about various activities and trips is available by calling Apgar at 540-839-5604.
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