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Andover senior center highlights demand, asks city for more support
Summary
The director of the Andover Senior Center told council the nonprofit serves more than 500 members, delivered about 15,678 meals last year, and used a $5,500 city grant plus $48,000 in county funding; she asked the city to explore grants, facility expansion and a workshop to consider options.
Margaret Gibbons, director of the Andover Senior Center, told the Andover City Council on Aug. 26 that the nonprofit serves over 500 members, averages about 77 visitors per day and served 15,678 meals last year — 10,927 in‑house and 4,751 delivered to homebound seniors. She said the center received a $5,500 city grant this year and $48,000 from Butler County and that operating costs for the next six months are estimated at about $75,000, largely covered by fundraising, donations and memorials.
Gibbons said the center’s most significant expenses are food, payroll, utilities and insurance, and that high participation sometimes fills the facility to capacity. She described programming that includes daily lunches, low‑impact exercise provided by Wichita State University physical therapy, monthly fundraising dinners and volunteer activities. ‘‘We are a very important part of the Andover community,’’ she said, and thanked the council for the city grant.
Council members and staff asked about ownership, funding flows and whether the city should bring the center into a municipal facility structure. Assistant City Administrator Jillian Graham and City Administrator Jennifer McCausland explained that state aging funds flow through the county (Department on Aging via Butler County), which currently funds the center about $48,000, and cautioned that making the center a city department would change how it operates because government programs face different rules, processes and timelines.
Council members suggested next steps including a workshop to review options and to compare how other cities support senior centers. Councilor Homer and others proposed exploring grants, partnerships with local nonprofits or churches, and potential facility expansion adjacent to the current site so services remain accessible for current users. Councilor Phil (speaker 5) offered to help identify AED/defibrillator models and grant opportunities after a public commenter raised that need.
The presentation concluded with an agreement to follow up at a future workshop to explore funding, partnership and facility options and to discuss whether the city should play a direct operational role or continue partnering with the nonprofit model.
