Resident urges action as Avery County senior-center meals halted after Hurricane Helene damage

Rebecca Corrigan, a long-time volunteer, told the Avery County Board of Commissioners on April that the county's senior center and its home-delivered meals program have been suspended after severe damage from Hurricane Helene and subsequent operational disruptions. "This center is a lifeline to many of our seniors and disabled residents," Corrigan said, saying she had delivered "close to 10,000 meals" over more than 20 years of volunteering.

Corrigan said she learned March 27 that the home-delivered meals program would be suspended indefinitely and criticized what she described as delays in communication and response. She said she spoke by telephone to U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards's office and was told, "this is the first I've heard about it," and asked the board why federal and state recovery funds have not produced a local solution.

County Manager (unnamed in the transcript) told commissioners the county is exploring possible facilities to replace the damaged senior center and said the manager and county attorney have been working on next steps. The manager asked the board to give the county manager authority to enter memoranda of intent or purchase contracts for properties suitable to house senior-center services.

The board did not adopt a vote-specific timeline on restoring the senior-center operations during the meeting; the manager encouraged residents to use the disaster recovery center (location: Malin) for assistance and information and asked people to call the county office for help with private-property debris-registration issues and resources.

The meeting record shows continued discussion in later agenda items about budgeting, grants and potential properties; no formal contract or specific reopening date for the senior center was approved at the meeting. The manager said staff would continue pursuing options and report back to the board.