Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Coatesville Senior Center changing name
COATESVILLE » Hard hit by the pandemic, Coatesville Area Senior Center will change its name and expand its service area to include communities served by the Downingtown Area Senior Center.
he change will take effect Jan. 1, 2021. It will be called the Brandywine Valley Active Aging ( BVAA). It will have campuses in
Downingtown, Coatesville and will offer a virtual campus.
“COVID has taught us that we are stronger when we work together,” said Bill Fagan, board president of Downingtown Area Senior Center. “The Board of Directors of Downingtown Area Senior Center is confident that BVAA is the best decision to ensure senior center services remain relevant and available to those who live in the greater Downingtown service area. We are grateful to Coatesville Area Senior Center for including us in this vision.”
Through the campuses, BVA will provide a variety of programs, services and meals to more than 4,000 adults age 50 and older who reside in 28 municipalities in western and central Chester County.
“This expansion will give BVAA a greater public profile allowing for strategic advocacy, targeted fundraising, stronger capacity, and improved financial health,” said Bill Pierce, executive director
of Brandywine Valley Active
Aging.
BVAA’s Coatesville Campus will continue to operate at 250 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the Coatesville.
The Coatesville Area Senior Center was founded in 1977. The first location was the third floor of a downtown bank on Lincoln Highway in Coatesville. In 1981, the center purchased a centrally located, two- story building in Coatesville, able to handle the growing number of seniors for several years. Through special funding in 1988, an addition was built that helped expand capacity and daily activity scheduling.
The new Coatesville campus is also available to help those who need assistance with applications for programs such as the Pennsylvania Property Tax and Rent Rebate, the Low Income
Home Energy Assistance Program ( LIHEAP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP – formerly food stamps), and notary services.
BVAA’s Downingtown Campus will operate temporarily at Brandywine Grace Church, 40 West Pennsylvania Avenue, in Downingtown. Take- out meals will be provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which include a fresh boxed- lunch in addition to frozen meals for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
“We are proud to return the Downingtown Campus to the Borough of Downingtown, making the location more convenient and accessible for many,” said Jim Terry, board treasurer, BVAA and former board president of Downingtown Area Senior Center. “We are confident this move will have an immediate positive impact on the individuals
served.”
In addition to the noon meal, at both the Coatesville and Downingtown Campus, the drive- thru will continue to provide weekly distribution of fresh produce courtesy of the Chester County Food Bank. The Coatesville Campus will offer breakfast every Tuesday and Friday, except holidays, from 8 a. m. to 10 a. m. Breakfast is available and open to the public with cooked to order platters starting at $ 5.
BVAA’s Virtual Campus is accessible on multiple platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom. For more information on new services offered, email info@ coatesvilleseniorcenter. org.
Many program and service restrictions remain in place due to the pandemic. Updates can be provided by calling the Coatesville and Virtual Campus at 610- 383- 6900 or the Downingtown Campus by calling 610- 269- 3939.
“The board of directors and staff of BVAA look forward to the time when it is safe to return group activities and meals back inside our physical campuses,” said Rich Saylor, board president, BVAA. “We know how important it is for our members to enjoy the fellowship of their friends.”