Polk County has scheduled a grand opening celebration for the new adult day care facility in Columbus on May 12.
The county is currently renovating a building at its current senior center property, formerly the Carolina Classical School off Skyuka Road in Columbus, to house the adult day facility.
County manager Ryan Whitson says paving is being done at the location and most other renovations are completed.
The Polk County Council on Aging recently received a $25,000 grant for Polk County to use on the new adult day care center. Council on Aging Chair Laura Lynch announced to county commissioners that the grant was from the Janirve Foundation.
Commissioners say they are pleased that the grant does not require a matching portion from the county and can be used to reimburse the county for work already completed.
Commissioners thanked Lynch, commissioner Warren Watson and county manager Ryan Whitson for preparing and writing the grant. Lynch said RLS has submitted another grant to the Janirve Foundation to help furnish the adult day center.
Polk is contracting with Rutherford Life Services (RLS), which currently runs a similar facility in Rutherford County. Polk County will furnish the building and RLS will run the center.
The county plans to name the facility after Don and Betsy Freeman, who headed an effort to get an adult day care in Polk County. Don Freeman died in December after years of needing such a center.
The county moved the Meeting Place Senior Center to the property last year after pledging to get all county offices out of the aged and deteriorating Jervey Palmer building. Polk is also working on plans to build a new department of social services building so it can completely vacate the Jervey Palmer building.
&bsp;
?