Manchester Seniors Get a New Home

Written by Pat Vailliencourt

In 1973, Rev. Joseph Wise, Pastor of Emanuel UCC Church, established an outreach program for the betterment of all seniors in the community. Seed money came from Emanuel Women, St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Jay-Cees. Crafts, cards, and refreshments were activities supported with donations, and volunteers drove people to the doctor, dentist and pharmacy.

Today the Manchester Area Senior Citizens Council (MASCC) still depends heavily upon volunteers. As a small community, MASCC has struggled to expand resources and never has been able to fund a “permanent home.” We depend upon others to provide space for our meals, our meetings or for group activities. This limited capability allowed only basic health and social needs to be met and provided only when space was available.

Thanks to 5 Healthy Towns Foundation, the Manchester Wellness Coalition, and the generous support of our community, we now have an amazing room in the Caife Aspire Building. The “old kindergarten room” has a wall of bay windows, a small kitchen area and our very own bathroom. Currently volunteers are cleaning, painting, gutting the bathroom, dreaming, and planning. Everyday we are approached and given new ideas on what our community residents would love to see.

We are very excited to begin providing much needed social activities, programs on healthy eating and lifestyles, and intergenerational activities this Spring. We are setting up a reading/relaxing corner, puzzle working stations and storage cubes for craft supplies.

Donations of games, puzzles, books and paper products are greatly appreciated. We need to purchase cleaning supplies, paint, an ADA-compliant tankless toilet, new bathroom flooring, a refrigerator with related electrical wiring work. As a 501c3 organization, financial donations of any amount are greatly appreciated to help make us sustainable in the future.

To donate supplies or make a financial contribution, please message or call Pat Vailliencourt at 734.428.7751 and leave a message or post on Manchester Area Senior Citizens, Michigan facebook page.

And if you are in the neighborhood, stop in and see us, at 410 City Road, Room 108. We would love to show off our new home!