Four senior community centers in Mercer County will receive grants to upgrade their facilities and programs, state Representatives Parke Wentling and Tim Bonner announced on June 3. Each center is set to receive a $2,577 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. The funding, which comes from Pennsylvania Lottery proceeds, will be used to modernize facilities, purchase new technology, improve meal offerings, and add health and entertainment activities.
Wentling said, “Through my past service on the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, and my constant interest in improving the daily lives of our older residents, I’ve seen how important these centers are for keeping local seniors active, healthy and independent. These grants come at a time when we’re also celebrating the good work done during the past 50 years by the Mercer County Area Agency on Aging, which works hand-in-hand with our senior centers to ensure older adults can continue to safely live their lives in their own communities.”
The four grant recipients are Grove City Senior Community Center, McQuiston Center by the Park, Shenango Valley Senior Center, and Greenville Senior Community Center.
“These senior centers play an important role in helping older residents stay active, connected and supported close to home,” Bonner said. “That’s important because it helps older adults maintain independence and quality of life.”
Bonner has contributed to community leadership through roles on boards like the Grove City United Way as well as serving as a Little League manager; he maintained an undefeated record in homicide cases during his 18 years as a prosecutor for Pennsylvania and Mercer County; he is currently state representative for Pennsylvania’s 17th Legislative District; he graduated magna cum laude from Westminster College with a degree in political science before earning his law degree from Notre Dame Law School where he served on Law Review; he has also served on boards such as Grove City Chamber of Commerce and chaired the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Hearing Committee; Bonner is married with three children, according to the official website.
