Generosity Rules at the Senior Center

By Guest Blogger Jon Meidinger, Senior Center Manager 

This week marks the Senior Center’s first month of operation at OE Gray school. I’d like to recognize those civic-minded citizens who stepped up in a big way to help us move into our spacious new facility. 

First and foremost, my staff: the tenacious Bill Richard and the superhuman Jill Goffinet. Next, the amazing group of volunteers who assist the marvelous Meal Site Manager Lindsay Taber with the critical task of providing hot meals both on-site and to homebound seniors. The founders of Platteville Area Senior Services, or PASS - Gary Pothour, Bill Cramer, and John Klosterman - have been with us through every step of the process. 

In a stunning feat, the Pioneers Pay It Forward program managed to convince 14 university freshmen to spend much of the day immediately before school started lugging everything from cribbage boards to couches over to our new home. These outstanding young women and men were helped immensely by community members Dave Pluemer, Rich Nehls, and Jim Coates, who donated their time, labor, trucks, and trailers. We called in the cavalry, our very own Streets Department, to do the literal heavy lifting. 

We were able to move into a greatly improved space due to the variously donated, discounted, and skilled professional efforts of: Again, Gary Pothour; Pat & Melody Mergen; Bill’s Plumbing; Schmidt Electrical; Builders First Source; Southwest Asphalt; and a man who knows how to get things done, Mr. Curt Timlin. 

We have received financial support from a number of people too great to list here, but I must acknowledge The Ray & Kay Eckstein Foundation, The Brodbeck Family, The McCartney Family, The Shyrle Sedgwick Family, The Platteville Community Fund, and local service organizations, the Lions Club in particular. The unstoppable Deb Browning has been essential to our fundraising efforts. 

Platteville Public Schools has been amazing from the outset of this effort. In particular Superintendent Connie Valenza, Business Administrator Kris Brown, Maintenance Director Becky Heins, and buildings and grounds gurus Bill Wagner and Brad Kettler. 

A sincere “Thank You” to our participants at the Center, many of whom attended the former Senior Center for many years. Throughout it all, they have remained open-minded and enthusiastic. 

Finally, in the few weeks we’ve been in operation at our new facility, we’ve seen more brand new faces than in the last few months at the old place. We’ve been the recipients of more inquiries and curiosity than ever before. I find this very heartening because this is precisely our aim. Perhaps you’ve heard me speak of our intention to evolve from an organization focused exclusively on seniors to an organization inclusive of every generation. I feel confident we are on that very path and that those involved remain as ambitious as ever in pursuing our vision of creating a truly valuable resource which will be of benefit to all, young and old, for decades to come.

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