TCAD awards Gallatin Senior Center $8k grant

Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Gallatin Senior Citizen Center was recently awarded an $8,000 grant provided by the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability.

Local and state officials celebrated with senior center staff including Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown, Sumner County Mayor John C. Isbell and TCAD Executive Director James Dunn.

“This funding is vital for the health and well-being of older adults across Tennessee, as senior centers provide access to an array of opportunities to stay safe, active, and healthy,” TCAD Executive Director James Dunn said in an earlier statement.

“We presented the impact made last year with these grants to the Tennessee General Assembly, and I’m grateful they gave us more funding this year to have an even greater effect on the lives of aging Tennesseans.”

TCAD was tasked with distributing individual $8,000 grants to 125 senior centers in 89 counties from the total $1 million in grants allocated in this year’s state budget by the Tennessee General Assembly – a $600,000 increase from the previous fiscal year.

“Senior centers connect older adults through social engagement and are a hub to vital community services that promote healthy aging across our state,” Dunn said.

“Last year, TCAD was able to enhance 80 senior centers in Tennessee with grants, and thanks to additional funding from the Tennessee General Assembly, we will make an even greater impact for our aging population this year.”

135 completed applications across 89 of the state’s 95 counties were received following the publication of the grant’s application process in July. 125 applicants were accepted after utilizing competitive, objective criteria, according to TCAD.

Grants received by the centers will facilitate routine operating, administrative, programmatic and preventive maintenance costs.

Grant funds may also be used to carry out various capital projects at the centers for facility and equipment operations and repair.

Planning to utilize the grant funds to replace the HVAC system, Gallatin Senior Center hopes to decrease monthly utility bills and the facility’s regular maintenance costs, TCAD Director of Communications and Legislative Liaison Mason Devers said.

Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com or (615) 517-1285.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TCAD awards Gallatin Senior Center $8k grant