After being closed to the public for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pike County Senior Citizens Centers will reopen on a limited schedule beginning April 4.
Although the centers were closed, home delivered meals continued to be delivered during the pandemic to the tune of 800 per day.
According to Diane Thacker, director of social services for Pike County, the temporary schedule will be for the next couple of weeks.
“We’re reopening the centers to see how attendance goes,” Thacker explained. “Seniors who attended the Pikeville center can go to the Shelby Valley center.”
The Pikeville center was closed shortly before the COVID-19 lockdowns due to damage to the building caused by subsidence which rendered the building uninhabitable.
Plans to tear down the existing building and rebuild elsewhere on the property are currently underway.
The schedule for the reopening of the senior centers varies.
• Pikeville/Shelby Valley center will be open Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Home-delivered meals for Pikeville will occur Monday through Thursday while home delivered meals for Shelby Valley will be Monday through Wednesday.
• The Elkhorn City Center, which now houses the Marrowbone Center since its closure by the senior citizens board, will be open Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Home-delivered meals for Elkhorn City will be Monday through Thursday while the Marrowbone home-delivered meals will be Monday through Wednesday.
• The Belfry Center will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with home-delivered meals Monday through Friday.
• The Kimper Center will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Kimper/Phelps area home-delivered meals going out Monday through Wednesday.
• The Blackberry Center will be open Tuesday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with home-delivered meals Tuesday through Thursday.
“This may be somewhat confusing to our seniors,” Thacker said. “But this is our temporary schedule for now.”
Thacker suggested that if seniors have any questions to call their respective centers.
To contact the Pikeville/Shelby Valley Center, call, (606) 639-9089, to contact the Elkhorn City Center, call, (606) 754-8936, call the Belfry Center at, (606) 353-7959, the Kimper Center at, (606) 637-6272, or the Blackberry Center at, (606) 427-1013.
“The centers are reopening at a perfect time,” Thacker said. “The Big Sandy Senior Games are scheduled at Dewey Lake in Prestonsburg May 20, so reopening the centers now will allow our seniors to practice their events.”
Events for the Big Sandy Senior Games include Bowling, Mile Walk, Football toss, Softball toss, Horseshoes, Basketball toss, Free throw shooting, Corn hole, Shuffleboard, Bingo, Archery and a new event this year — Mini Golf.
“We’re looking forward to seeing our seniors enjoying the centers again,” Thacker said. “And we’re looking forward to the Big Sandy Senior Games.
“It’s always fun to see our seniors win medals in their events,” Thacker said. “Medals are awarded for first, second and third place finishers.
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