Brookfield Senior Center/Linn Co. Council of Aging, Inc.

HISTORY OF THE BROOKFIELD SENIOR CENTER
The original Senior Citizen Multi-Purpose Center was created in 1974, and located at 217 S. Mary Lee was hired as Manager. The meals were catered from the Marceline Nutrition Site and served at the Brookfield site. In 1979, Mary Lee resigned and Hazel Ammon was hired as Manager. The City of Brookfield was building a new Community Building at 1 Center Drive,

and the Nutrition Site was to reside in part of that building, with a kitchen equipped to do our own cooking. In 1980, we moved into our new facility. Wilma Gupton was hired as Cook. In 1988, Wilma retired and Pat Gann was hired as Food Service Manager. Sue Dixon was hired as Administrator. In 1995, Sue Dixon resigned and Stephanie Finney was hired. In 2003, we moved into a building that we purchased and renovated at 143 Clawson Road. The building is named Junior Roberson Memorial, in memoriam to Junior Roberson, for a gracious donation to our Senior Center when he passed away in 2009. Johna Asher become Administrator in 2012 and served in that position until 2017, when Heidi Wampler was hired as Administrator. The current staff consists of:
Terry Stichler, Food Service Manager; Teresa Beckman, Food Service Assistant I; Parthina Hamilton, Food Service Assistant II. Philosophy

THE PHILOSOPHY at the Brookfield Senior Center is to welcome all citizens, sixty years and older, regardless of race, religion, or ability to pay. We strive to provide as many services that are available through our referral service as possible. Through our staff and volunteer program, we take pride in creating a warm, friendly atmosphere and a usefulness to all Senior Citizens. Our nutrition program is a big part of our Center: to furnish a balanced meal to everyone, especially to those on special diets and to deliver meals to the home bound unable to attend our Center. Our main goal is to enable the retired citizen in their golden years to remain as independent as possible and in good physical and mental health. The dining room is open to all ages for lunch. For those under 60 years, the cost is $6.75 and for 60 years and older, it is a suggested donation of $3.00. Last year in 2022, our Center provided 41,253 meals for the community: 9,768 congregate meals in our dining room and 31,485 meals delivered to our home participants residing in Brookfield, Laclede, Meadville, Linneus & Purdin. Through our Senior Commodity Box Program we also provided an additional 43,587 pounds of foods into Linn County, a savings of $83,687.27 to our Center and senior citizens, if we would have had to purchase these items!