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Harahan Senior Center operators report rising participation, ask council for continued support and transportation solutions
Summary
Representatives of Harahan Senior Center Inc. told the council they are serving dozens daily and asked for help with transportation barriers after saying Jefferson Council on Aging materials inaccurately listed the center as closed.
Representatives of Harahan Senior Center Incorporated told the Harahan City Council on March 20 that the center is serving growing numbers of seniors and is funding operations with meals, donations and event revenue, but needs help resolving transportation challenges.
Spike Kiddock, representing Harahan Senior Center Inc., said the center is averaging 20 to 50 seniors a day for activities and feeding 15 to 35 daily, with Free Food Fund Fridays serving 100 to 120 people. "We provide exercise, card games, art classes, bingos, dominoes, ... We are in the progress of getting the nurses back, line dancing back," Kiddock said.
Kiddock said inaccurate postings on social media and on JCOA27s website have caused confusion; he told the council the center is open and active under a 10-year agreement effective March 1, 2025. Council members and other speakers discussed transportation options after Kiddock said the Jefferson Council on Aging (JCOA) has not been providing bus service to Harahan seniors; speakers noted the parish transit program and DOTD funding options as possible avenues to secure a vehicle or contract service.
Council members acknowledged costs and logistics for providing a bus (driver, insurance, maintenance) but discussed alternatives such as requesting a smaller lift-equipped van through DOTD programs or negotiating pickup service from Jefferson Parish transit. Staff and council asked the clerk to follow up on options for acquiring or arranging transit service and to check whether a previously donated bus remains available.
Why it matters: Seniors rely on transportation to access congregate meals and services. The center reported higher participation since the new management took over; resolving transport and coordination with parish agencies affects seniors' ability to attend.
Next steps: Council and staff will continue to explore DOTD funding, parish transit options and partnerships with Jefferson Parish agencies; the clerk and council members expect to report back on potential solutions.
