Our Town Revisited: C.H.E.E.R. Senior Center
GEORGETOWN, De. – Still traveling along memory lane, 25 years ago, WMDT visited Georgetown to check out a long-awaited senior community center.
In November of 1999, the at the time new Warren L. And Charles C. Allen multipurpose center was the flagship of C.H.E.E.R.’s service program, a program that enabled seniors to remain in their own homes. It was one of nine centers in Sussex County, where the elderly could gather and take part in activities designed to provide quality of life. Over two decades later The Cheer Center is still standing strong, and residents are still having fun.
A Center for Seniors
In 2007, Sussex County Senior Services was transformed into the Congregate Home and Elderly Eating Regularly or CHEER. CEO Beckett Wheatley has been working at the senior center since the early 90’s. “Our mission is to make sure, you know, that our seniors remain active and healthy and we have senior centers throughout the county and we wanted to have one facility where everybody could get together.”
Originally opened in 1999, the 24,000 square-foot multi-purpose facility included a workout room, a beauty shop, and a senior center with games and activities… years later. What was once the fitness center is now a packaging facility, and Wheatley tells us there have been a lot of other additions. “So, when we expanded our kitchen, we moved our Georgetown Senior Center over here. So that is now in the back of the building, and our adult daycare is still here, but we expanded from 20 participants a day to 40 people maximum. ”
Insisting on Independence
Wheatley says their goal is to encourage independence, but they understand that’s not easy for everyone. So, in 2013 they created their Adult Day Care for seniors who cannot be home alone. As far as the apartments go, this is a way one can have their own space but still feel secure. “60 units, so that’s still the same. We’re getting ready to expand and build another apartment building with 59 units, and actually there’s going to be 3 more buildings built every so many years, as long as we get the funding.”
Hungry and Homebound
For decades they’ve been known for supplying homebound meals in the county, which at the time fed over 1200 daily, now with over 700 volunteers they can help more seniors than they initially imagined.
“The kitchen there was from the 1980’s too old, and it could only do about 800 meals a day. The new kitchen, we can do up to 2600 meals a day… I would say we’re up to about 1400 homebound, but we also have our congregate where our seniors eat in the senior centers. So, we do about 1700 meals a day, and last year we provided about 350,000 meals.”
Transportation and Translations
They now have 18 handicap accessible busses, and multiple food vans for the homebound program. She says their goal is to reach as many seniors in Sussex County as possible. “So, we have 8 Senior centers, one is brand new, it’s our Cafe Salute’, it’s a Spanish- speaking senior center that’s located at this facility, the community center. And they have activities in the evening. And we also provide meal and transportation for laurel and Bridgeville which are independent centers.”
Active Elders
Wheatley says as long as they’re around, they will always find ways to encourage the elderly. “Sussex County, the aging population is growing like crazy, everybody is moving down to Sussex, and we just have to keep providing more and better services to make sure everybody stays active and healthy.”
The Cheer Center is still accepting members, so if you or someone you know would benefit from their services feel free to call 302-854-9500. And for those 62 or older who may be interested in their Senior apartments, visit their website.
