A PRIME TIME FOR PRIME TIME — Area residents who attend Prime Time Office on Aging in Steubenville enjoy taking part in its various activities, including playing bingo and cards to having lunch in the building’s dining area. Those who attended the activity center on July 22 included, clockwise from bottom left, Clint Kovach, Judy Monigold, Donna Joyce, Jeannie Rogers, Karen Henry and Patty Kovach. -- Julie Stenger

STEUBENVILLE — Situated at 300 Lovers Lane sits a building which serves as a popular gathering place for area residents who are 60 years of age and older.

Trinity Health System’s Prime Time Senior Services has been assisting seniors throughout the community for decades. And there are no plans to stop.

Prime Time was originally located inside Trinity Medical Center East. It moved into the former Temple Beth Israel synagogue in 2012. The center was the first county-wide senior activity center in Jefferson County. It has been providing meals and transportation to area residents since 1988.

Officials say it is because of the dedication of its more-than 2,000 members, along with the commitment of its staff, that the center is able to thrive.

According to Trudy Wilson, senior adult services manager of Prime Time for the past five years, the facility’s mission is to keep people healthy, independent and productive, offering services that include health and wellness programs, arts and crafts, educational opportunities, meals and nutritional programs. Among the social groups offered at Prime Time are gardening, crocheting, sewing, cards, bunco,line dancing, exercise, Bible study, crafts, Scrabble, dominoes, pool and ping-pong. Legal referrals are also provided.

IT TAKES EVERYONE — Staff and volunteers contributing to the success of Prime Time include, from left, volunteer Cindy Misogiane, senior adult services manager Trudy Wilson and volunteer Judith Vandruff. -- Julie Stenger

Support groups have included those for mended hearts, grief management, diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease.

The center’s kitchen prepares meals for all nine meal sites in Jefferson County, hosting lunch each weekday.

Wilson explained no one is ever turned away from its services, which has provided discussions on the topics of Medicare services, supplemental policies and offering banking information and scams which seniors should avoid falling for.

Twice a week, an exercise class is offered, along with a yoga class. Exercise is done on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while yoga takes place Mondays and Wednesdays.

“We offer a safe place to mingle so you are not just staying home alone,” Wilson commented.

There are 1,300 meals which go out a day at its outdoor grab-and-go sites, where individuals pull up in their vehicle and are handed a meal by volunteers. Grab-and-go locations include Prime Time’s main campus, First Westminster Presbyterian Church, Michael Myers Terrace and the WEBA Food Pantry.

Prime Time offers various types of meal sites, such as congregate sites, which are central locations where meals are delivered. Here, seniors are able to sit and eat with one another. Congregate sites include Prime Time’s main campus, Hammondsville, Heritage Village, Four Seasons Ministries, Richmond and Bergholz.

Another congregate site is expected to open soon, Wilson said.

There are 10 routes for home-delivered meals, Wilson noted.

When the center is able to acquire additional staff, another home route will be added.

“We have a great core of volunteers working for us,” she noted. “And right now we are looking for home meal drivers who are able to help.”

Cindy Misogiane has been volunteering at Prime Time since it opened, which she noted was approxiately 15 years ago. She explained she is a retired widow and by volunteering at the center, it provides her with an opportunity to remain active and not home watching television all the time.

“I really enjoy it here,” Misogiane stated. “I feel like the Lord wants me here.” She is in charge of check-ins, transportation rides, collecting lunch money and answering phone calls, among other tasks.

“This job keeps me busy and keeps my mind active,” she added.

Volunteer Judith Vandruff has been helping in the center’s kitchen for seven months. She said she loves coming to Prime Time.

“I even learned to crochet here,” she said. “I have made some wonderful friends here, too.”

Vandruff volunteers three to four days a week, passing out utensils and napkins to guests. She participates in games, exercise and bunco when she can.

Anyone who is interested in seeking home-delivered meals must meet three guiding principles, officials noted. To receive a meal, one must be 60 years of age or older, reside in Jefferson County and understand that all meals are available free of charge — regardless of income. However, donations are always accepted and welcomed, as they help the agency to operate. To register you or a loved one for a meal, call (740) 314-8493 or visit primetimejeffersoncounty.com/home-delivered-meals.

Those interested in joining Prime Time will pay a $25 membership fee, which will be waived if one has SilverSneakers as part of their Medicare supplemental policy. There are no financial pre-requisites or requirements for membership, as Prime Time is open to all income levels, according to Wilson. A membership affords one the opportunity to take part in many of the center’s activities, including games, crafts and parties.

Membership is not required to take part in Prime Time’s exercise classes, legal referrals, transportation assistance or meals. These four amenities are open to any senior citizen free of charge through the Area Agency on Aging.