Senior center reports busy calendar and seeks county help to maintain lunch program

At the Jan. 28 meeting of the Danville Town Senior Advisory Commission, Timothy McGrath, supervisor of adult and senior services, said the senior center has restarted many in‑person activities and is coordinating with the county to maintain the subsidized lunch program.

McGrath told commissioners the center has added staff and programming, including a new chess instructor, sold‑out trips to Grace Cathedral and special events, a spring activity guide that includes summer offerings, a senior tech fair on Jan. 31 and planning for the late‑April Lend a Hand volunteer home‑repair event. He said the lunch program has been operating near capacity (about 65–70 of 76 spots) but faces a funding timing issue: "We are actually working with the county right now. They did not get an advance on funding to continue funding the senior lunch program, which is subsidized by the county through July during their midyear budget," McGrath said.

The commission heard that staff are collaborating with the county and the meal provider (the cafe) to preserve service levels through July while the county's budget timing is resolved. McGrath said staff will continue to monitor attendance and participation and will report back to the commission.

Commissioners praised recent workshops and intergenerational programming; they also discussed after‑hours panels intended to make services accessible to working adults. McGrath described two after‑hours pilot sessions with local nonprofits and said continued offerings will depend on attendance and measured success.

The meeting also approved the consent calendar (summary of actions from the Oct. 22, 2025 meeting) by motion, with one recorded abstention.

The commission expects staff updates at future meetings and asked that any funding risks to the lunch program be reported promptly.