Manchester seniors to get a permanent home

submitted by MASCC

The Manchester Area Senior Citizens Council held high hopes for the “old Ackerson School” last spring when they rented the former kindergarten room. “It has been a wonderful home for us with lots of great memories and unbelievable community support,” said Pat Vaillencourt.

Several weeks ago, however, the building was listed for sale. Knowing the importance of having a permanent home for Manchester area seniors to allow them to continue providing social activities, informative speakers, field trips, etc., the Village Council unanimously voted to provide space in the building attached to the back of the hall. This area is adjacent to the Village Room and is currently being used for cold storage.

Since the Ackerson Building has been sold, the new owner has agreed to a month-to-month lease. To date, the seniors have not been notified of any future plans for the building, but they know they must be prepared to move.

“After several attempts by the Manchester Area Senior Citizens Council and (now City) Council to obtain funding, we were finally successful,” Vailliencourt said. “A grant from Washtenaw County for $136,280 was approved at the December 5 Board of Commissioners Meeting. This grant will cover about 80% of the cost for renovation and furnishings for the area. Our plan includes furnishings, storage areas, a commercial kitchen, bathroom, ADA access directly from the parking lot, windows in the rear wall, and a door to provide access to the river picnic area. Council agreed to fund a new roof and is obtaining bids.”

Over the next few months, MASCC will be sponsoring fundraising events to raise the remainder of the funds required for the space. Our first fundraiser will be this week, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (December 13, 14, and 15) from noon to 6pm at the Ackerson Center. We have lots of handcrafted items made by our own local seniors. It’s a great opportunity to get those “hard to buy for” people a unique Christmas gift while supporting the seniors’ new home.

Watch for our LADDER OF SUCCESS as we near our goal of raising $38,000. We wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year!

P.S. Join us on Saturday, December 16, for our Christmas party. Bring a $15 wrapped gift to participate in the gift exchange. Refreshments will be provided.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.