The Mendon Senior and Community Center (MSCC) is seeking $13,200,000 to support the construction of a new, centrally located facility. The existing center struggles to meet the needs of our growing senior population, with more than 27% of the population aged 60 or older, within a limited space. This new center will provide vital services like:

•  Wellness programs: Exercise classes, health screenings, nutrition education.

•  Social activities: Senior lunches, game rooms, arts & crafts studios.

•  Support services: Information & referral, transportation assistance, counseling.

•  Community events: Educational workshops, public forums, cultural gatherings (open to all ages).

The MSCC will be a hub for social connection, healthy living, and lifelong learning, fostering a vibrant and inclusive community for all residents of Mendon, MA. As such, while the priority may be for supporting senior citizens, Mendon lacks a centralized community center of any kind outside of a public library or the public schools, many of which have different hours of availability and operation or lack programs that could benefit the community as a whole. Given that the median age of Mendon, per the 2020 census, was 40.6 (± 0.4), multiple opportunities exist for a facility such as a Senior and Community Center to provide intergenerational and diverse supports for people of all ages.

Some of the enhancements the proposed project will incorporate include areas for lifetime recreation, such as pickleball, bocce, basketball, shuffleboard, and personal fitness, including the potential for ADA-compliant walking trails. While Mendon boasts of several hundred acres of conservation land, much of this is difficult, if not impossible, for senior citizens or those with mobility challenges to safely navigate. In addition, the current facility lacks adequate space for multiple activities to occur simultaneously, so if a group of senior citizens were to play cards, a second group receiving community information on fuel assistance or attending lunch can be accomplished today, which does not serve the goal or schedules of community members. Today our events are wait listed and Seniors are turned away. In short, the current town facilities no longer meet the needs of the Seniors or the broader population. The current town senior center, should this project be approved, will be repurposed in a form of municipal use, which will improve the spaces needed by other departments that currently have insufficient space and resources.

If you have questions regarding the proposed new Mendon Senior and Community Center, please contact the senior center for a list of FAQ’s, attend an open house/informational session on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. or contact committee members Phil Cieply [email protected] or Peg Nogueira at [email protected]