Donations needed to make Arley Senior Outreach a reality

ARLEY     -  After years of collecting donations, hoping and waiting, the Arley Smith Lake Senior Outreach Center is becoming a reality, thanks to a partnership between the organizing committee and the town to secure the former Traders & Farmers Bank building.
The Arley Town Council approved at their Dec. 6, meeting to make a $65,000 offer to BankFirst toward the purchase of the vacant building, according to town clerk Tami Farley. Bankfirst accepted the offer, which was reported by the council at their Jan. 3, meeting, Farley added.
The vacant structure, which sits beside the current BankFirst structure on County Road 41, will be paid through $50,000 provided by the town, with an additional $5,000 in donations collected by the board overseeing the senior center. The remaining money has been kept in CDs at a local bank, funds raised by the community toward a senior center for the past 20 to 30 years, Arley Mayor Chris Tyree explained. More recently, the funds have been turned over to the town, he added.
“I am glad to see it is happening. It is something we’ve been trying to do for a while,”  Tyree pointed out. “As soon as we close on it, we’re going to start renovating it.”
However, the task remains to collect the needed $50,000 to $75,000 for equipment and supplies to completely remodel the interior of the building in order to equip it as a senior center, board members noted.
Two accounts have been set up to collect donations - one at BankFirst, the other at Traditions Bank. When making donations, specify the money needs to be deposited into the Arley Smith Lake Senior Outreach Center account, board members explained.
Funds are desperately needed for sheetrock, flooring and plumbing, as volunteers with carpentry and maintenance skills are already coming onboard to do the interior work, which basically will remodel the entirety of the building’s interior and include constructing a new kitchen, board members said.
Not only are donations being collected at two local banks, but fundraisers are also being planned to provide funds toward the renovation costs. The next fundraiser will be a dinner on Friday, March 4, from 3-6 p.m. at the Arley Fire Department community room, which has and will continue to be used as a location for senior citizens to meet until the newly acquired building is ready.
At $10 per plate the dinner will include choices of barbecue pork or chicken casserole with slaw, loaded baked potatoes, squash casserole, turnip greens, roasted vegetables, corn casserole and baked beans, as well as a variety of cobblers and other desserts. Meals will be carry-out only, and monetary donations are welcomed.