Senior Nutrition Program at McGraft Park to End in December

Andrew Trzaska | November 26, 2013

AgeWell Services will no longer provide meals to senior citizens at McGraft Park’s community center after December 31, 2013, according to a motion passed by Muskegon’s city commission Tuesday.

The city provided $2,079 in support to the AgeWell Services program, which in return paid the city $200 a month for rent and utilities at the Glenside neighborhood facility.

The number of seniors attending the program at the McGraft Park Community Building has gone down recently.  McGraft was serving around 15 seniors per day this year, according to a letter dated 10/31/13 from Sharon TerHaar, director of AgeWell Services, which oversees Muskegon, Ottawa and Oceana Counties. This number is less than the State of Michigan’s required average of 20 per day to receive funding for the program.

However, Tanglewood Park on Seminole Avenue in Norton Shores has a thriving program and is open to all senior citizens. Therefore, AgeWell Services concluded it must to shut down the McGraft operation and focus on Tanglewood.

AgeWell Services plans to serve its last meal at McGraft on December 20. The city commission voted 6-0 on Tuesday to renew their contract with AgeWell just for the next month, technically ending the service with the end of 2013.

Commissioner Sue Wierengo was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.