photo by Robert Stewart: Revelers sip punch at Lied Senior Center's 10th anniversary open house.

by Robert Stewart

    No matter your age it is never too late to continue growing. This is a lesson that could be taken from the success of the Lied Senior Center in Seward.
     Initially, beginning in 1992, seniors in the Seward area would meet at the Seward Civic Center twice a week for meals, coffee, conversation and crafts, such as quilting.
     Between 25 and 30 people attended these early gatherings, but according to Bob Heyen, the space was not large enough to accommodate the group's needs.
     "It was very evident, real quick, that we needed someplace different," Heyen said.
     During a visit with friends at Johnson Lake, near Elwood, Heyen, and wife Nona, saw the involvement that community of seniors there had with the Elwood Senior Center and decided to bring up the possibility of a center in Seward at the next AARP meeting.
     Heyen said he approached Albert Ebers, then president of the Seward AARP, with the idea.
     "I asked, I said, 'Why don't we have a senior center in Seward?' He (Ebers) said, 'I don't know, why don't you find out?'" Heyen said.
     This led to the creation of a committee to develop the ideas needed to create the center and began a long process of research and preparation that included trips to senior centers throughout the state to find out what went into a successful senior center building and taking input from the people the building would serve in order to create a structure that would serve the specific needs of its patrons.
     "The whole committee, we did a lot of travelling. We went to a lot of different senior centers (to get ideas)," Heyen said. "We always felt that we had a lot of input from everyone and we didn't do too bad a job."
     The city of Seward formed an aging services commission to give the center a voice in the community and to help with the planning of the building. Current Mayor Roger Glawatz, then a member of the city council, acted as the council representative for the newly-formed aging services commission. Since then only two other council members, Bob Fiala and Tony Vrana, have served in the same capacity, helping to maintain a continuity that has aided the center in its growth.
     "The people that we've had representing us (on the council) have done a real good job," Heyen said.
     The planning period for the center was also used to raise funds for the construction of the building, which was erected solely through donated and raised monies and without using city tax dollars.
     Dave Taladay of the Southeast Nebraska Development District worked with the group to help apply for grants to begin construction on the building, helping to procure a community development block grant of more than $235,000.
     During an open house in honor of the center's 10th anniversary, Taladay said that the grant was money well spent. "You have a marvelous facility here and you have filled it up with wonderful people," he said.
     Traditional fundraising methods such as bake sales, auctions and soliciting donations were also employed. The "Lied" portion of the center's name came from one such donation, from the Lied Foundation.
     "We said the first group to give us $125,000 or more, the building would be named after," Heyen said.
     In addition, the group built and sold a house to raise money and held the now traditional, potato bakes.
     The land on which the building sits was donated by the Seward Housing Authority.
     The basic design of the building came from a partnership with an architecture class at Southeast Community College in Milford.
     "Basically, what we wanted was a functional building that would seat 250 people," Heyen said.
     Heyen travelled with the class to three senior centers in Nebraska as the plans progressed to gather ideas. Eventually, 17 students submitted plans for the center based on their studies and conversations with seniors.
     "The basic design of this building was from one of those architectural students," Heyen said. "What that cost us was we fed them (architecture students) dinner."
     Although those plans provided the basis for the center, in order to qualify for grant monies the center needed to employ a working architect. Bob Dawson of Lincoln was chosen, and, other than moving some rooms around, the original plan was used in constructing the current building. Heyen said the building was built according to plans with no unforeseen problems arising and has generated interest outside of the community.
     "I think that we built this building and didn't have one change order that cost us any money," Heyen said. "We've had several people that want to build senior centers come and borrow our plans just to see what we had."
     The building was completed in January of 1997 and on Feb. 1 of that year the group moved in.
     In September of 1997, the Seward Aging Services Foundation (SASF), a 501 (c) (3) (tax exempt, non-profit) organization was established to raise and manage funds for maintenance, repairs, new equipment and any other expenses that may occur.
     "We try to keep improving the building all the time," Heyen said. "They're (SASF) buying things that we need to kind of update us."
     These include items such as the shuttle which the center operates to give seniors mobility around town, a riding lawn mower and a new audio-visual system for the center.
     The SASF is currently trying to raise the fund it manages to $800,000. This money would enable the center to hire a full-time manager.
     Currently the center operates almost entirely due to volunteer efforts. According to an article which appeared in the City of Seward Scene, Vol. 1, Issue 2, "there are approximately 60 volunteers who donate nearly 12,000 hours per year."
     These volunteers assist with the potato bakes every month, help to raise money to support the ongoing development of the center and act as staff for the running of the center.
     All of the efforts, past and present, which have gone into the creation, construction and continuing operation of the center were shown appreciation at the 10th anniversary open house held Feb. 4.
     The event was attended by former Nebraska senator Elaine Stuhr, Stuhr's successor, Sen. Greg Adams, Dawson, Fiala, Glawatz and many others who had a hand in seeing the center develop.
     Sen. Ben Nelson, who attended the groundbreaking for the building in 1996, sent a letter expressing his regrets at not being able to attend and congratulating those involved with the center on its success.
     But in the end the true appreciation for the center came from those who are able to take advantage of all that it has to offer.
     "I don't know what I'd do without this place," Donna McMillen, a senior center patron, said. "This is my home away from home."