FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Rain or shine, the Fayetteville Senior Center does everything it can to support senior citizens in the city.
Communication with the public has been a bit of an issue for the center, as issues with the phone lines have continued for over two weeks, but the complications can't keep the staff and volunteers from carrying out their mission.
The Director of the Fayetteville Senior Center Chase Gipson said his team makes it their goal to keep people in the Northwest Arkansas area feeling young and content.
"It's kind of like a YMCA for seniors. And so they come here and think 'There's people doing exercise, playing ping pong, dancing, going on trips, and playing pool,'" said Gipson.
On top of their on-site services, Barry Thomas, the food service manager at the center, said they cook almost 300 meals a day to deliver to senior citizens in the community through the "Meals on Wheels" program.
Thomas states, "There's people in Fayetteville that rely on our food. Some people have to eat my cooking every day of the year."
Gipson said phone service at the senior center was out for the last two weeks, but that didn't stop them from providing the meals and taxi service that many people rely on, "We're like the old post office slogan; 'rain or sleet, whatever's going on,' we always try to get food out."
Gipson adds, "We may be the only people they see all day, and if they don't have family or friends in town, or go to a church, they may not have anyone else to get them food. This is a critical service to their life."
Gipson said the center managed to keep everything running smoothly during the communication issues through social media and word of mouth.
AT&T has been working to repair the lines and hopes to have phone service restored by the end of the week.
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