Beckley, WV (WOAY) – The Raleigh County Commission on Aging celebrated 20 years at its current Beckley location on Friday. Board members, city leaders and state senior services officials gathered at the center on South Kanawha Street to mark the milestone.
The commission has served seniors in Raleigh County since 1977. It moved several times before settling into its current center in 2006.
“We just kept growing and kept growing. So we knew we needed a bigger facility,” said Tammy Trent, assistant executive director of the Raleigh County Commission on Aging. “Our programs were not only growing, but the number of people that were coming to participate was growing. So our vision was to build a building that we could continue to grow what we were doing.”
According to the commission, its center is the only nationally accredited senior center in West Virginia.
Trent said she hopes to add senior housing next, though the project will require outside funding. Beckley Mayor Ryan Neal also proclaimed September as Senior Citizen Month in the city.
“Our seniors have been wonderful and our community has been wonderful. Our community has been so supportive of what we do. Everyone comes in and works together with us whenever we call them. They’re right here for us … Our staff here does such a wonderful job and I could not be more proud of them,” Trent said.
