Milton to welcome new community center for seniors

In just a few months, Milton will have a new place to share some cheer.

For the past five years, Milton CHEER Center staff has shared limited space with Eagles Nest Church on Route 16.

“The space is limited. It's basically one room,” said Anthony DelFranco, CHEER marketing director.

By January 2015, a new $2.3 million CHEER Center on Route 16 is expected to open, serving senior center members as well as community organizations looking for a new meeting space.

CHEER member and volunteer Ginny Bolin said it's been difficult working in a small space for the past five years; and she can't wait for the center to finally have a place to call home.

“It's in my community, and that's what I want to be a part of,” the Milton resident said.

Bolin joined the CHEER Center through a fitness program, and she said she is thrilled the new facility is being built with fitness in mind, with a fully-equipped fitness center, banquet hall, meeting rooms, office space and a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen.

DelFranco said the new kitchen will be key to Milton's Meals on Wheels program, which delivered nearly 30,000 meals to the Milton-area homebound seniors last year.

Susan Winterbottom, Milton CHEER Center site manager/director, said she hopes the new building will attract new members and volunteers, expanding its services and activities for the community. She plans to bring on a new Zumba instructor and partner with local business 302 Fitness to offer more fitness programs.

“It will give us an opportunity to all be together in one area to have that fellowship,” she said. “It's all about working together.”

While CHEER focuses on adults age 50 and older, the new CHEER Center is intended to offer a community center available to local groups and organizations looking for a place to gather.

“It's not only going to be a senior activity center; it's also going to be a community center,” DelFranco said.

“We see Milton as one of the upcoming communities in Sussex County,” he added. “Dogfish Head is there. There's been a revitalization of the downtown area, especially with the opening of the old theater, so we felt that Milton would be a really good location for our newest activity center.”

Officials broke ground on the 4-acre parcel along Route 16 in spring 2013, although construction didn't begin until May 2014. Still, DelFranco said, work is ahead of schedule, with the outside of the building completed. Workers are finishing up interior work – such as wiring, plumbing and sheet rock – and DelFranco expects a March 2015 ribbon-cutting and grand-opening ceremony.

A majority of funding for the new facility came from a $1.5 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan, with an additional $340,000 coming from other grants. The remainder of the funding was raised through by private donations.

“We feel very strongly about the Milton community, being a part of that community and being able to contribute to that community,” DelFranco said.

The CHEER Center relies on the community's support, he said, just like so many seniors rely on CHEER's services and activities.

“Even though the building is up, we still have a mortgage to pay, bills to pay, and a loan to pay off,” he said. “The sooner we can get out of debt, the more money we can put toward supporting activities at the center for our seniors. We need them to know that CHEER is going to be there for them in every step of the way.”

For more information, go to www.cheerde.com/milton.