Seniors short on space: The Jackson Senior Center has drawn up plans for an expansion

The Jackson Senior Center, teeming with visitors some days, has gained enough popularity that board members of the Jackson Senior Center Foundation anticipate a need for growth.

Plans have been drawn up for an expansion to provide an additional 1,200 square feet. The space will be used to provide greater seating and serving capacity for the center's nutrition and activity operations. The building itself is paid for and owned by the Jackson Senior Center Foundation.

The center, 2690 Travelers Way, has been providing area seniors with everything from hot meals to tax assistance through the AARP for more than four years.

Lester Maevers, president of the foundation, has taken the plans to city hall, and the board is trying to accumulate capital in order to gauge the "future addition possibility," Maevers said.

The center anticipates a building budget of $65,000, and hopes to get some assistance from volunteers. A general contractor will oversee the project, but some board members have their own contracting experience to bring to the table.

The Jackson Senior Center began operating in July 2005. According to nutrition manager Debbie Stockton, the center served an average of 242 people per day in January. Board vice president Virgil Green said as many as 300 people come to the center on some days, creating a shortage of seating.

The Jackson Senior Center provides midday meals to visiting senior citizens in coordination with the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging, Senior Citizens' Services Fund Board Contract and the United Way of Southeast Missouri. The meals are provided at a suggested donation of $3 for each senior and a guest.

The Center also offers opportunities for educational clinics on topics such as nutrition and diabetes and social activities such as exercise classes, bingo and planned trips.

In addition to those who come to eat at the facility, the center works with Meals on Wheels to serve meals to more than 130 handicapped individuals age 18 to 59, as well as homebound seniors who are unable to attend. Three routes cover more than 100 miles each day in Jackson and other parts of Cape Girardeau County.

"We're a volunteer service, but I think we're appreciated," Green said. " We try to deliver rain or shine."

A fundraising dance will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Valentine's Day, to support the center's expansion. The Viox Band, a Ste. Genevieve country western four-piece group, will provide live music. Sandwiches and drinks will be available for purchase. For more information, call 243-4241.