A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY SENIOR CENTER

“...with meticulous care, decorations will be hung for it is but two weeks until Halloween and all must be ready for our opening!” You can imagine the hustle and bustle when the Center first opened its doors as LIVE WIRES on October 15th, 1967 at 100 South Main Street in St Albans, formally Bray’s Market. The Messenger reported that the new Center was spacious and arranged as a sitting room with several easy chairs, a colored TV, an AM-FM radio and reading material. There were card tables and a full kitchen where attendees were encouraged to bring their own sandwich, with the Center providing soup, cookies, coffee and tea. 

Years later, through the efforts of many, the Center has grown both in membership, peaking at 400+ and the breadth of activities, education, nutrition and culturally-appropriate, elder-friendly programming offered by the Center’s staff and volunteers. The City of St. Albans, through an act of it’s school board’s benevolence cemented the longevity of the Center --- deeding the former Messenger Street Primary School, re-purposed to serve a group “...a bit older” nevertheless as animated – the Franklin County Seniors!

Years of growth and prosperity followed, the Center becoming a premier nutrition site for elders serving 25,000+ annually. Almost half were served through the Meals-On-Wheels program delivering as far as Hathaway Point, Georgia Shore and outlying areas. The Center enjoys a strong volunteer commitment from the surrounding communities, receiving as much as 1,000 volunteer hours per month for programming and support functions.

The Center would have been the longest continually operated senior center in Vermont, reaching our 50th anniversary in 2020-21. 

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit – a critical juncture for society – a grim reminder of our mortality! To minimize the impact, our world leaders chose to quarantine and our governor insightfully mandated the closure of senior centers. The Center remained dormant for nearly 15 months. However, like seeds, dormancy is only temporary. The Center has reawakened, dusting off the old and commencing the new; anxious to rekindle old relationships, hungry to build anew. We have re-opened for three days and one evening a week with administration and management achieved by a part-time employee and many volunteers hosting our programs.

The Center’s board of directors appreciates the support of the communities as we carry out our mission of providing nutritious culturally-appropriate meals, social, health and wellness opportunities for the seniors of Franklin County.

Sincerely, for and on behalf of the board and members of the Franklin County Senior Center,

Charles Tinker, President