By STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer - smillberg@starbeacon.com
ANDOVER — Hard economic times have forced Andover Country Neighbor to close its doors, moving all programs and services to the organization’s Orwell facility, said Executive Director Barb Klingensmith.
The decision to close came from the board of directors and was a difficult one to make, she said.
“The decision was made with really heavy hearts,” she said. “A lot of thought went into it.”
The Andover facility catered to about 10 to 12 seniors during the summer months and the number dropped to six to seven during the winter. Klingensmith said seniors mostly came for lunch. The facility was only open for four hours a day, three days a week.
Country Neighbor now offers transportation for those folks in Andover who wish to attend programs at the Orwell location. Klingensmith said the majority of seniors who attended the Andover facility have been making use of the transportation services and traveling to Orwell.
There are also a lot of seniors who are eligible for in-home services, she said.
“So far it’s been working real well,” she said.
Country Neighbor receives its funding from several different entities including the United Way and the Ashtabula County Senior levy; however a lot of that funding is program-based and does not take care of general operations of the facilities. Country Neighbor also does a lot of fundraising itself, Klingensmith said.
The facilities did not receive separate funding. What funding the organization received was split between the two facilities, she said. When asked if the closing of the Andover facility will allow for more programs at the Orwell facility, Klingensmith said, it will enable the facility to survive.
“It’s just a matter of survival,” she said. “Gas prices are increasing, our food costs have escalated and electric and heating costs are going up. We’re hoping to be able to sustain what we have. It’s just something that’s hitting everyone.”
The Orwell facility is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It was a really tough decision,” Klingensmith said. “The No. 1 priority was making sure we were still serving the people.”
