City of Laurens Partners with Piedmont Agency on Aging for Expanded Seniors Program, Meals on Wheels

The City of Laurens announced Friday that it would be partnering with the Piedmont Agency on Aging (PAA) to assist with Meals on Wheels and to expand the city’s popular seniors program.

Mayor Nathan Senn gathered with representatives from the Agency, including CEO Tracey Bedenbaugh, to make the announcement at a press conference held at The Ridge, the City of Laurens recreation complex and the new home for PAA in Laurens County.

“We are excited to partner with the Piedmont Agency on Aging because we want to support the tremendous work they are doing to provide more than 1,300 meals each week through the Meals on Wheels program,” said Senn.  “But, we are also particularly excited about the potential to expand our seniors program.”

The Piedmont Agency on Aging will move its operations to the Ridge beginning in April, making better use of space in the facility which was seldom used previously.  There, the agency will assemble meals for volunteers to deliver to seniors in need all across Laurens County.

Additionally, the agency already has a ‘congregant meal’ program in which seniors get together to share a meal and fellowship, similar to the City of Laurens’ existing Tuesday Morning Out program which has become an important part of many seniors lives.  These two programs will be combined and expanded so that the programming offered to City of Laurens senior residents is greatly expanded.

Not only will the seniors program be expanded, the City will also be able to partner with the agency to provide transportation to seniors who need assistance getting to and from the Ridge, a service which the City has not previously had the capacity to provide.

“This is a terrific opportunity for us to improve the service we offer to the public, and by working with a community partner, we’re able to do this without adding additional cost to the city’s budget,” said Senn.  “It just makes sense.”