BYRON, Georgia — The city of Byron's municipal complex is expanding.
It will soon house a a new senior center, making the addition Peach County's second senior facility. The city will officially open its doors with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, Sept. 9.
The senior will be sponsored by a partnership between Peach County, the city if Byron and Middle Georgia Community Action Agency. The agency's executive director, Tammy Sosebee, said she was approached by county commissioners to bring the program to Byron in December 2023.
"We operate one in the south end of the county, in Fort Valley, and they said, 'How can we get these same services to the north end for the populations there?'" Sosebee said. "... I said, 'In partnership with the Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging, we would be happy to do that service.'"
This will make the ninth senior operated by Middle Georgia Community Action Agency.
Sosebee said she believes this idea has been apart of many conversations carried throughout Byron for a while. She said former city councilman Jesse Hall has been very vocal about the idea for a center in Byron for years.
"He's wanted one for a long time and I know that he's spoken both county and city in the past. He may have planted the idea," Sosobee said.
Sosobee said she's enjoyed watching the final development come to fruition. The agency's Senior Services Director, Gypsy Hicks, agrees.
"Byron is a growing area," Hicks said.
She said she remembers hosting an event where they took applications from seniors who were interested in being members at the new facility and seeing how excited people were to fellowship with one another. Unexpectedly, some happened to be neighbors.
"When they started to hear people call their address, they were like, 'Ok, I live in the same complex, where do you live?' They started saying address and apartment numbers," Hicks said. "They were getting excited because they were meeting people in their community they had never met before."
Though initially expecting to only receive 20, she said they are almost maxed out on applications and have received nearly 80 applications.
Dianne Dean, 79, is a retired school teacher. She works part-time at Byron Printing and Boutique, and said she's always been active in the community, whether it involves taking her grandchildren to events or being involved in bible study. She was not aware a senior center was coming to the city.
Dean's husband died nine years ago. She said she believes this will not only be a fun opportunity for other people who have lost their partners but also for couples.
"I feel like its important for them to be able to find a spot where they can go and be active and just talk and relax and that kind of thing," Dean said. "Even for couples, I still go out with all my couple friends. My husband died nine years ago and we had lots and lots of friends in this area and I still go out with them."
She said she would be interested in the new senior center.
"I don't just sit around unless I'm reading a good book or something," Dean said. "That's usually in the evenings, but I'm usually gone and I'm out and about and that's what I like so it sounds like something that would be very interesting."
Hicks said there will be a multitude of activities provided for the seniors to participate in: line dancing, volleyball and art therapy, to name a few.
"Were looking for 60 and above vibrant seniors who they don't wanna sit at home everyday," Hicks said.
If interested in learning more about the new center, reach out to Hicks at ghicks@mgcaa.org.