New van arrives at Bellaire center, two more coming

BELLAIRE -- Senior citizens from around the village have some new wheels to transport them to their appointments.

The first of three new Chrysler Pacificas purchased by the county using a Healthy Aging grant was delivered to the Bellaire Senior Center on Thursday. Frequenters of the senior center went out to look around and inside their newest ride.

Senior Services Director Lisa Kazmirski thanked the Belmont County Board of Commissioners for supporting her efforts to acquire the grant.

"They gave us the responsibility to apply for the grant, and we got an exception for the rule to purchase vehicles because they're going to be used primarily for grocery shopping and to help people combat food insecurity," she said. "One of these are here at Bellaire, and two more are coming. One will go to the Powhatan Senior Center, and one will go to the Martins Ferry Senior Center."

Kazmirski said the grant was for more than $200,000. Normally, recipients would only be permitted to spend certain percentages on certain items.

"But we got the exception to spend on vehicles," she said. "This is a good thing for seniors. One of the big obstacles we face in Belmont County is the lack of a transit system that helps people get to and from the grocery stores, and the senior centers have become very important for seniors who need that service. And the Pacificas are ideal because there's a lot of cargo space for their groceries and they're low to the ground, they can get in and out easily. So again we're very fortunate the commissioners assigned the Healthy Aging grant to Senior Services."

She also thanked the Thomas Auto Centers Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealership in St. Clairsville, Sunset Motors in Steubenville and Belmont Dodge in Barnesville.

"The dealerships in the area have done a tremendous job in helping us locate vehicles, because during this time it's very hard to just go somewhere and buy vehicles," she said.

She said the vehicle will also be used to transport seniors to and from the center.

"Another thing we offer folks is grocery ordering and delivery, so if someone can't leave their house for some reason ... we can help them order their groceries and then one of our senior center employees goes and picks them up and delivers them to the house."

Kazmirski said the grant will also go toward purchasing fresh produce for the seniors, as well as other benefits.

"We're going to buy loanable devices -- probably iPads -- that the seniors can use at the centers or take them home if needed to do things like reapply for their Medicare/Medicaid services, to look things up as far as resources go. Maybe do some online banking with some assistance," she said.

"We're going to focus a little bit more on access to the internet with those devices, because the Healthy Aging grant earmarked certain areas we were allowed to spend it on, and that was one," she said.

Bellaire Senior Center Director Tish Kinney said they were very excited to have another vehicle.

"We recently received a bus, but all the centers share that so we can't always get it. When we go on trips and we need another van, we have to borrow from other centers," she said.

Senior Ann Hodges said the seniors of the local area are blessed.

"I think we're so fortunate," she said. "We're so grateful, the seniors of Belmont County, to have such wonderful senior associations of Belmont County. ... They always give us very, very good vehicles. We're always safe on the road. They take us to our appointments. They take us to any appointments we have."