The Chester County Commissioners presented a check for $450,000 to Brandywine Valley Active Aging (BVAA), to support the purchase of a new senior center campus in Downingtown. Pictured left to right: County Commissioner Eric Roe; County Commissioners’ Chair Josh Maxwell; BVAA Downingtown Campus Advisory Council members Jo Taylor, Marge Clements, and Denise Mescia; County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz; Dolores Colligan, Director of Chester County’s Department of Community Development; and Bill Pierce, BVAA Executive Director.
Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell, Marian Moskowitz, and Eric Roe presented a major holiday gift last week to hundreds of seniors hoping for a permanent location for the Brandywine Valley Active Aging (BVAA) Downingtown campus. At the BVAA annual HollyDay luncheon, the Commissioners unveiled a check for $450,000 which will serve as a significant investment for a new facility.
BVAA Executive Director Bill Pierce arranged the special presentation and thanked the Commissioners for helping to make a new senior center in the Downingtown area a reality. “For the past few years, we have leased space at Brandywine Grace Church, and we thank them for accommodating us during this time.
“But the time has now come to re-establish a place in the Downingtown area that can accommodate all the activities and programs we provide, and the meals we serve for more than 110 people every day. This funding from the County well help do that, and every one of us could not be more grateful,” added Pierce.
BVAA provides crucial services and programs for older adults including health and wellness activities, social engagement, information and assistance and nutrition services.
The grant presented by the Commissioners comes from Chester County’s Department of Community Development. It will support the acquisition costs associated with a permanent home for BVAA’s Downingtown Campus.
Dolores Colligan, Director of the Chester County Department of Community Development, said, “As the population of older adults grows, so too does the demand for senior services. A new facility in Downingtown will ensure that these increased services can be provided in a spacious, accessible, and modern environment, something that has been needed for a number of years.
“All of our county senior centers are a hub of activity and a lifeline for many people. The County’s contribution to a new senior center in Downingtown will lead to a safe, healthy place that improves the quality of life for seniors who live in the area.”
In 2020, the Downingtown Area Senior Center partnered with the Coatesville Area Senior Center and that merger resulted in the creation of Brandywine Valley Active Aging with campuses in Coatesville and Downingtown. The organization now serves more than 2,100 individuals each year, providing more than 65,000 home cooked lunches, access to community resources, and classes that exercise the body, the mind, and creativity.
