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The Barbour County Senior Center and Here & There Transit are the Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Members of the Month in September.
David Alkire is the new director of the Barbour County Senior Center. Chris Broughton is the new transit manager of Here & There Transit which services all of Barbour County.
The Barbour County Senior Center is located at 47 Church Street in Philippi, and can be reached at 304-457-4545. It is a nutrition site, offering meal programs, personal care service, Medicaid waivers, veterans programs, Alzheimers Respite programs, Title IIIE in-house respite programs, pay-in home and homemaker services, lighthouse and case management activities.
The center has served Barbour County since 1972 , is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and may be addressed at Post Office Box 146 in Philippi, or emailed at bscc@bcscw.org. The web address is bcscwv.org, and it is on Facebook.
The Senior Center has a recreational area on the first floor, offices on the third, and a nutrition site on the fourth floor,
"Any person 60 years of age or older is welcome to participate in the programs and services sponsored by the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Service, regardless of race, creed, sex, handicap, geographic residence, or national origin," Alkire said.
"We are an equal opportunity provider. The Barbour County Senior Center is funded through the West Virgina Bureau of Senior Services, the Upper Potomac Area Agency on Aging, the City of Philippi, the Joseph N. and Viola C. Forman Memorial Trust, and private donations from local businesses and friends."
A native of French Creek, Alkire holds a degree in public relations from West Virginia University, was a senior community manager for the American Cancer Society, and served as director of the Upshur County Chamber of Commerce and the Convention & Visitor's Bureau.
Broughton became the operations transit manager at Here & There Transit in October 2022. Previously he was part-owner of Broughton's Sports for 42 years. Broughton sold his share of the business to his brother, who still runs the business in Elkins.
Here & There Transit, a service of the Barbour County Senior Center, is located at 336 Mansfield Place in Philippi, and can be reached at 304-457-1818, or emailed at transit@bcscwv.org. Mail can be sent to P.O. Box 146, Philippi, W.Va., 26416. The website is www.hereandtheretransit.com.
Here & There Transit's offices operate from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. daily in order to meet the mobility needs of eligible seniors and offer "individual" as well as "City Loop" runs.
"We strive to put people first and take our people to heart," Alkire said, who credits Dispatcher Cheryl Butcher and Office Manager Kay Gibson in Billing for their outstanding service.
Here & There operates demand-response service where you can reserve travel from your home to any location in Barbour County. Children 12 years of age or under must be accompanied by an adult. Riders with disabilities use vehicles which are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The transit service for seniors does not operate on national holidays.
"We have 12 drivers committed to providing the best experience for our customers," Alkire said.