Structural damage at a building in Sweetwater is leaving senior citizens without a place to go.
The senior citizen building is closed, so seniors have no dining room or activity center.
Now, dozens of seniors are left without a vital part of their lives.
TJ Self owns and runs a barber shop in Sweetwater, it's his livelihood.
He's one of the fortunate people to have something to do while the senior citizen center is shut down.
He still needs the center though for more than just something to do. He gets his daily meals there.
"I asked that lady down there what I'm gonna do while it's down," Self said.
The center hasn't cut it's seniors off completely. The SNAP program or: Senior Nutrition, Activities Program, hands out meals at the door. But the seniors can't go in. The center is checking for asbestos and don't want to put the seniors at risk.
Sweetwater City Manager, Eddie Brown, explained, "Actually the engineering report said the structure was not safe."
The building was built in the early 1900's, and there's been roof and ceiling problems that have led to leaking, causing significant structure damage.
So for now, it's shut down, leaving senior's without their activity center.
"What are they going to do, till they get it back together?" asked Self.
This same question is a big concern for senior's who are usually there every day.
"They don't want to stay home," said senior center secretary, Janet Patty. She see's the effect the center has on it's seniors every day. "This place keeps our seniors going."
The center understands it will change the senior's routine for a while but want its members to know that when and if it comes back it will hopefully be better than ever.
"I think it's critical to the SNAP program to continue," said Brown.
The city wants to create a good safe, sound structure for the seniors to return to, with possibly some new additions like a bigger stage.
"Give them old folks something to look forward to, to come out," said Self.
For TJ it's important to have something more than a place to go to work.
"It's getting more important every day, the older I get."
For now, those without, just want to see progress.
"I'm just ready for them to get started."
Next week, the city commission will decide whether or not to give the go ahead to tear down the old building and put up a new one.
The senior citizen building is closed, so seniors have no dining room or activity center.
Now, dozens of seniors are left without a vital part of their lives.
TJ Self owns and runs a barber shop in Sweetwater, it's his livelihood.
He's one of the fortunate people to have something to do while the senior citizen center is shut down.
He still needs the center though for more than just something to do. He gets his daily meals there.
"I asked that lady down there what I'm gonna do while it's down," Self said.
The center hasn't cut it's seniors off completely. The SNAP program or: Senior Nutrition, Activities Program, hands out meals at the door. But the seniors can't go in. The center is checking for asbestos and don't want to put the seniors at risk.
Sweetwater City Manager, Eddie Brown, explained, "Actually the engineering report said the structure was not safe."
The building was built in the early 1900's, and there's been roof and ceiling problems that have led to leaking, causing significant structure damage.
So for now, it's shut down, leaving senior's without their activity center.
"What are they going to do, till they get it back together?" asked Self.
This same question is a big concern for senior's who are usually there every day.
"They don't want to stay home," said senior center secretary, Janet Patty. She see's the effect the center has on it's seniors every day. "This place keeps our seniors going."
The center understands it will change the senior's routine for a while but want its members to know that when and if it comes back it will hopefully be better than ever.
"I think it's critical to the SNAP program to continue," said Brown.
The city wants to create a good safe, sound structure for the seniors to return to, with possibly some new additions like a bigger stage.
"Give them old folks something to look forward to, to come out," said Self.
For TJ it's important to have something more than a place to go to work.
"It's getting more important every day, the older I get."
For now, those without, just want to see progress.
"I'm just ready for them to get started."
Next week, the city commission will decide whether or not to give the go ahead to tear down the old building and put up a new one.
