Governor Bentley Announces MOWA Choctaw Senior Center Open to Citizens

By: Emily Thompson Marsal, Alabama Department of Senior Services

MT. VERNON (Governor’s Office) – State and local officials were on hand for a Ribbon Cutting ceremony to open the new MOWA Choctaw Senior Center. The Senior Center is located at the former Calcedeavor Elementary School cafeteria and was made possible by a grant from the Alabama Department of Senior Services. The Senior Center serves nutritious meals and offers other helpful services to tribal elders who reside in rural north Mobile County.

“This is a great partnership for the Alabama Department of Senior Services, the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission (SARPC), and the MOWA tribal elders.  We strive daily to reach and serve all seniors in our state and are thrilled that this plan has now been realized,” Commissioner Neal Morrison of the Alabama Department of Senior Services said.

The tribe first met and identified the need for both housing and improved nutrition in the area.  Soon after, the Calcedeaver School facility became available.  The tribe then visited with SARPC director, Julie McGee to see what help the Area Agency on Aging could be with getting this nutrition center up and running.

“Chief Lebaron Byrd and Lillie Steiner of the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians met with me to discuss their vision to give the seniors in their community a gathering place and a means to improve their nutrition and health and we gladly offered our assistance to make this a reality.  We know this center is and will be a community focal point for activities, information, and needed services,” said Julie McGee, Director of SARPC.

“The MOWA tribe has a large population of low/fixed income seniors who either don’t know how to eat healthy, or can’t afford to do so.  We felt that a senior nutrition center would alleviate at least one of the problems affecting our seniors,” said Chief Byrd of the MOWA Tribe.

Now that the Center has opened its doors, there are about 50 seniors who visit there every day, and they could not be more pleased with the services that are provided to the tribal elders.  “What a blessing this is to our community,” one senior stated.  “This center will help with our grocery expenses.”

“This nutrition center is a collaboration of state, local, and tribal officials and volunteers seeking to address a need in their community.  We applaud the good work being done by SARPC and the MOWA Indian tribe to open this new opportunity for their seniors,” Commissioner Morrison said.

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