by Kate Shunney
Senior Life Services of Morgan County is expanding its number of nutrition sites across the county where older residents can gather to have lunch, socialize and pick up meals. The senior citizens agency has also said they’ve modified their plans to scale back Paw Paw Senior Center site hours, at least for the remainder of 2025.
Hot meals
As of this Monday, October 6, Senior Life Services has partnered with Union Chapel along U.S. 522 south of Cacapon State Park to provide hot meals to those over the age of 60 on Mondays at 11 a.m. at the church at 10123 Valley Road. Seniors can pre-order a lunch at 304-258-3096 extension 1005. There is a suggested donation for the meal for those over 60 and for those under the senior age. For October, meals will be brought on Mondays on October 6, 20 and 27. There will be no meals on October 13, according to the senior center announcement. 
Union Chapel joins other sites in the county where hot meals are delivered and served for a congregate meal.
Senior Life Services has partnered with Emmanuel Baptist Church in Great Cacapon to offer meals on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at the church, located at 5299 Central Avenue.
On Wednesdays, residents in the South Morgan area can get the lunches at Greenwood School Community Center at 11 a.m.
Senior Life Services also offers meal delivery to homebound people over 60 in Morgan County as a way to keep senior residents healthy and connected.
“It’s easy to skip a meal, lack motivation to prepare a meal for one, or grab less than nutritional options each day. When you eat at our centers you get a full, nutritional meal to meet healthy dietary needs while also having a bonus of socialization with your peers,” the agency said of their meal services and nutrition sites.
Paw Paw site keeps daily hours
After extensive community feedback and planning meetings, Senior Life Services has decided not to scale back hours at their Paw Paw Senior Center as earlier announced. The senior center board had said it would cut back operations in Paw Paw to a drop-off nutrition site three days per week, rather than being open five days as a place to eat and socialize.
Community outcry over the announcement led to several meetings that have stimulated more volunteer engagement at the Paw Paw center, a change in operational organization and promises to stay open five mornings a week through the end of December.
The board of directors voted in favor of keeping the site hours unchanged, with hot meals prepared on site through December 31, said Tammy Kees, Executive Director.
Mountaineer Health Center, the owner of the building that houses the senior center in Paw Paw, also extended an offer to Senior Life Services to reduce the rent to $1 per month toward the end of keeping hot meals and open doors five days per week.
A committee of local Paw Paw residents has been working with the Senior Life Services board to cultivate new volunteers, add activities to draw more people to use the center each day and consider fundraising efforts.
The plan to cut back senior center hours was primarily a financial one, Kees had said, as participation at the Paw Paw site had reduced while the facility costs had remained in place.
“Our goal is to success, but it is up to the residents of Paw Paw to participate,” Kees said.
The subcommittee working on future plans was set to meet again last week. A new social media page for the Paw Paw Senior Center has been updating new activities and fundraisers being offered over recent weeks, including a craft fair and additional daytime activities.
Senior Life Services’ main offices are at the Berkeley Springs Senior Center on Sandmine Road.
Offices can be reached by calling 304-258-3096.
