COA Fitness Centers to Open on March 1
A tremendous amount of time and energy has been devoted to re-imagining the day when we could reopen our Fitness Centers again for you. Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of our participants and staff, and so every step we’ve taken has been with this singular goal in... (read more)
Cass County Meals on Wheels workers save client from natural gas leak
Last Wednesday, Michael Faunce thought something smelled funny. The Meals on Wheels worker was delivering a meal to a client in Dowagiac with work partner Cindy Polomcak when he smelled what he thought was natural gas after the client opened the door. The actions Faunce and Polomcak took... (read more)
Cass County Council on Aging awarded grant from Pokagon Fund
A local organization will be able to provide free meals to senior community members thanks to another organization’s generosity. The Cass County Council on Aging recently received a grant from The Pokagon Fund to help feed Dowagiac’s senior citizens. The funds from this grant will be used to... (read more)
Van Buren/Cass District Health Department COVID-19 Vaccine Update
The best way to ensure you receive notification when clinics and appointments become available to you is to complete the Individual Vaccination Survey on the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department website. Submit your name to the Health Department to get on the vaccine waiting list COVID-19... (read more)
Temporary Closure - Beginning Monday, November 30
After a great deal of consideration, the COA will temporarily close both COA facilities beginning Monday November 30. We have always prioritized the safety of our customers and staff and feel that this is the right decision for our community at this time. In preparation for the shutdown, our... (read more)
COA suspending some programs due to COVID
With the high COVID positivity rate for Cass County (15%) and high number of new cases per day (about 29/day), the Cass County COA has made a difficult decision to suspend some of its activities for the remainder of the year. Over the last few weeks, we have seen COVID outbreaks at a number of... (read more)
Dowagiac Navy veteran reunites with friend after 58 years
Dowagiac resident Walter Swann has accomplished much during his 79 years of life. A Navy veteran and a retired professional boxer, Swann has traveled the world and experienced many things, but the whereabouts of his old Navy friend Francis Demaio eluded his grasp. Until now. After 58 years of... (read more)
Sailing through the War
Eddie Mose received his draft notice in 1965, but volunteered to join the Navy before his draft date. His military career began in January of 1966 when he arrived at boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois. Eddie remembers this day being the coldest day he had ever seen in his life.... (read more)
Aiding the War Back at Home
Rosie the Riveter was an allegorical cultural icon of World War II. She is used as a symbol of American feminism and women’s economic advantage. American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform. Around 5 million civilian women served in the defense industry and... (read more)
COA Welcomes New Board Members
The COA Board of Directors recently added three new members - Duane Adams, Mary Germinder and Carol Reich. COA Board members are the fiduciaries who steer our organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as... (read more)