APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Fox Valley senior center’s temporary home is becoming permanent.
For the past two years, the Thompson Center of Lourdes has been housed at Father Don Zuleger’s St. Bernadette Parish in Appleton.
“We had a school building that was underutilized. We invited them to come over and take a look at our property.”
Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna says the city provided $100,000 in grants, with another $200,000 collected in donations.
“There’s an electrical upgrade, heating upgrade, I think there’s some fire upgrade.”
However, Hanna says they’re still looking to install an air conditioning system, among other changes.
“Converting an old school into a different use is taking some efforts, and as they got organized and we talked to them, we were able to come up with some grant money to do some of that conversion.”
That’s good news for Lynn Schend, who was nervous she wouldn’t have anywhere to go when the city’s only permanent center closed two years ago.
“I retired at 55. I lost my husband three months later. You know, you need stuff to do.”
The center estimates around 11,000 seniors participated in activities in 2017, up 4,000 from the year prior.
