Senior center and Meals on Wheels volunteering in Mill Hall, PA

Older adults in Mill Hall have a place to gather, eat a hot lunch, and stay connected, and it runs partly on volunteers. The Mill Hall Senior Community Center at 9 Peale Avenue is part of STEP Inc.'s Office of Aging, the Area Agency on Aging for Lycoming and Clinton counties. The center serves residents age 60 and older, and it also anchors a Meals on Wheels route that reaches people who cannot get out. Mill Hall is a borough of about 1,500 people, so this is a small operation, staffed by STEP and rounded out by neighbors who give a few hours when they can.

What does the Mill Hall Senior Community Center do?

The center is a daytime gathering spot for residents 60 and older, run by STEP Inc.'s Office of Aging. It sits inside the Mill Hall Fire Hall, the same building the borough's volunteer fire company calls home, which tells you something about how Mill Hall stretches its civic square footage. People come in for activities, company, and a midday meal. The same office coordinates Meals on Wheels, so the building doubles as a base for meals that go out to homebound neighbors nearby.

The activity list is longer than most people expect for a town this size. When The Express covered the center's reopening in January 2016, the lineup included card parties, art classes, crafts, wood carving for beginners, line dancing, square dancing with live music, and wellness classes such as Tai Chi, Healthy Steps in Motion, and Zumba Gold. STEP's own brochure for its centers adds picnics and computers with internet access. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, cooked with fresh ingredients, with locally grown fruits and vegetables on the menu when they are in season. Meals for center participants run on a donation basis, and the kitchen asks for reservations 24 hours ahead so staff know how much to cook.

STEP runs eight of these Centers for Healthy Aging across the two counties, three of them in Clinton County: the Clinton County Community Center on East Walnut Street in Lock Haven, a center in Renovo, and this one. The Mill Hall center has weathered at least one hard stretch. Pennsylvania's budget standoff in 2015 forced it to close for a time, and its regulars temporarily merged with another center until funding came through. It reopened in January 2016 on a weekday schedule of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are weighing options here against other towns, the wider picture of volunteering across Clinton County puts it in context.

What do volunteers actually do here?

Three main things: deliver Meals on Wheels, help at the center itself, and support the activities that happen there. Meal delivery is the one most people start with. You pick up meals at the center, follow a set route, hand them to people at their doors, and check that everyone looks all right. The visit matters as much as the food. BethLynn Lowell, a STEP delivery volunteer, described the job this way when the program's holiday boxes went out one December: drivers get to know the people on their routes, and "they become like family."

Behind every route there is kitchen work too. Meals are cooked fresh each weekday, portioned, and staged so drivers can load up and go, and helpers also set up the dining room, serve the congregate lunch, and clean up afterward. Beyond the kitchen, helping at the center covers whatever a given day needs, from lending a hand with a program to just sitting and talking with someone who came in alone. None of it requires special training. STEP staff run the show and tell you where you fit. If you would rather see what else is posted around town before you decide, volunteer opportunities in Mill Hall lists them in one spot.

Can I deliver meals if I work full time?

Often, yes. Meals on Wheels routes run at midday on weekdays, and a single run does not take long, so it can fit into a lunch break or a flexible workday. STEP depends on a rotating group of drivers, which means you can commit to one day a week or fill in when someone is out, rather than signing up for every day.

The scale of the program explains why fill-in drivers matter so much. When The Express profiled Meals on Wheels here in 2014, STEP counted roughly 600 volunteers delivering hot noon meals to about 425 seniors across Lycoming and Clinton counties, every weekday. A network that size always has a route that needs covering somewhere. That flexibility is the reason meal delivery works for people who cannot give a full shift. If driving is your thing, it also connects to a broader need. There is real demand for volunteer drivers across Clinton County, from meal routes to rides to appointments, and the same skill covers a lot of ground.

What does the rest of the year look like?

The center's calendar moves with the seasons. Summer brings picnics and STEP's local harvest cooking, which puts county produce on lunch plates while it lasts. Winter brings holiday festivities and a project worth knowing about: Santa's Seniors, STEP's December drive that packs gift boxes with ready-to-eat food, cold weather items, and personal care supplies for homebound Meals on Wheels recipients. In 2016, 419 people across the two counties received a box during the week of Christmas, carried out by the same volunteers who deliver their meals. Seniors at the Mill Hall center worked the giving side of that one, making handmade towels for the boxes.

Health programming runs all year. STEP's centers host screenings and workshops such as Healthy Steps for Older Adults and diabetes self-management courses, so a volunteer who sets up chairs one week might be helping at a screening table the next. If you want a steady weekly role rather than an occasional one, this side of the calendar is where to ask.

How do I sign up to volunteer?

Contact STEP Inc.'s Office of Aging directly and ask about the Mill Hall Senior Community Center at 9 Peale Avenue. The center's phone number is 570-726-6378, and STEP's Clinton County office is at 124 East Walnut Street in Lock Haven, reachable at 570-858-5800. They handle the schedule, the route assignments, and any paperwork, and they will tell you what a given role involves. Volunteer Clinton County is a free directory, so we point you to the organization and do not stand between you and them.

Reaching out to the center is the fastest route, since STEP knows which shifts and routes are short right now. You can also scan the current openings on our directory to see what is posted, and read our full Mill Hall volunteering guide for the rest of what happens in town. If food is where you want to help, you can also help at the St. Paul Lutheran food pantry, and if you are willing to travel a few minutes, there is plenty going on in the county seat of Lock Haven as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my own car to deliver Meals on Wheels in Mill Hall?

Yes, meal delivery through STEP Inc.'s Office of Aging is done with your own vehicle. You pick up meals at the Mill Hall Senior Community Center on Peale Avenue and drive a set route to homebound residents. Routes are kept reasonable in length. Ask STEP directly about mileage, insurance, and what a typical route covers before your first run.

Who can receive Meals on Wheels from the Mill Hall center?

The program serves eligible homebound older adults, generally age 60 and older, who cannot easily shop for or prepare their own meals. Delivery happens on weekdays around midday. STEP Inc.'s Office of Aging determines eligibility and sets up service, so a person who needs meals, or a family member, should contact STEP to ask about signing up.

Is there a minimum time commitment to volunteer?

No fixed minimum is required. STEP relies on a rotating group of volunteers, so you can take one route a day each week, help at the center occasionally, or fill in when a regular is away. The center staff will work out a schedule that matches how much time you have. Contact STEP's Office of Aging to talk through what fits.

Can I just come to the center for lunch?

If you are 60 or older, yes. The center serves a hot lunch Monday through Friday, cooked fresh, with local produce when it is in season. Meals run on a donation basis, and STEP asks for reservations 24 hours ahead so the kitchen can plan. Call the center at 570-726-6378 to reserve a spot or ask what is on the menu.