The Murray-Calloway County Senior Citizens Center – housed in the George Weaks Community Center in downtown Murray – is receiving a $750,000 grant to renovate its kitchen space and add an emergency power generator to the facility.
On Friday, Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman joined Murray Mayor Bob Rogers and other local and state officials to announce the funds.
The money comes from the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which is administered through the Kentucky Department of Local Government. A city can only have one such grant project active at one time. In June of last year, the Murray City Council approved the Weaks Center’s application to seek the CDBG funds.
Rogers said while the city considered other potential CDBG proposals, the goal was to choose a project that reflected the Murray values.
“There's lots of things we could have done with the $750,000, but – because of the importance of the senior citizen center to our community – our city council chose this.”
Coleman spoke highly of the far western Kentucky community as a place where “neighbors look out for neighbors.”
“This is a center that serves as a lifeline for so many in this community and in this region,” the lieutenant governor said. “Every day, staff prepares around 400 meals… and those 400 meals are prepared in a kitchen designed to produce about half that.”
The grant funds will go towards doubling the kitchen’s meal prep stations and cold storage spaces. It also includes the installation of an emergency power generator so the kitchen can continue to function during severe weather events.
The senior center’s executive director, Dacia Barger, said the updates to the kitchen will aid the center in supplying meals to the local area.
“Last year, we served over 85,000 meals, and the need continues to grow,” Barger said. “This project will significantly increase our ability to prepare and deliver meals, both on site and through our Meals on Wheels program. This will ensure we can meet the growing needs of our community for years to come.”
Calloway County Judge-Executive Kenny Imes, State Rep. Mary Beth Imes, and State Sen. Jason Howell also gave brief remarks congratulating the senior center’s work supporting the local area throughout the last 40 years.
No timeline for when renovations will begin at the Weaks Center has been announced.
