The Keota Milestones Area Agency on Aging senior center served its final meal on October 30.

This dining center is one of eight recently closed by the non-profit organization that serves a 17-county area. According to Milestones, this closure was caused by budget constraints and is an attempt to become more cost effective while still serving the most seniors possible. Milestones Services Director Pam Taylor says younger seniors aren’t using community sites, while older seniors are asking for home-delivery, and that congregate meal centers aren’t as popular as when they were first established in the 1970’s. On average only seven meals on each of the three serving days were transported from Sigourney into Keota. Milestones has a transportation contract with 10-15 transit services, and Taylor urges Keota senior citizens to call and arrange transportation to the nearest Milestones location in Sigourney to receive their meals.