Bamberg, South Carolina (May 2023) – On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Bamberg County Council members joined local and regional leaders to celebrate the Bamberg County Office on Aging’s  paving improvements. The improvements include a new parking lot, additional handicap parking spaces, a driveway connecting the office to DSS, and new curbs. The Office on Aging received about $311,000 from the SCDOT 5339 Transit Program to complete paving and building improvements; this particular grant was derived from the American Rescue Plan with 85% coming from the federal government and 15% from the state. Bamberg County assisted the Office on Aging with the paving bid and contract. 

According to Office on Aging representative Austin Collins, the projects that have been completed or that are in progress are as follows: 

• New Sign 
• Shed for Housing Buses 
• New Computers 
• New Front Cabinets 
• New Front Countertops 
• Exercise Room Office/Telehealth 
• Landscaping, Including Palm Trees 
• New Support Poles for Front Awning 
• Main Parking Lot Improvements and New Lot
• Driveway Connecting DSS 
• Awning over Freezer 
• Parking Lot Curbs 
• New Office Flooring 
• New Vehicle 

Attendees of the Office on Aging celebration included:

• County Council Chairman Dr. Jonathan Goodman (District 5)
• County Council Vice Chairman Everett Comer (District 6)
• County Councilwoman Sharon Hammond (District 2)
• County Councilman Larry Haynes (District 3)
• Former County Council Chairman Spencer Donaldson (District 4)
• Special Assistant to the Administrator Chip Maier
• Bamberg Deputy Administrator Thomas Thomas
• County Administrator Joey Preston
• Bamberg County Veterans Affairs Officer Craig Walker
• Bamberg Mayor Nancy Foster
• Bamberg City Councilman Alan Sunday (District 1)
• Bamberg City Councilman Corey Ramsey (District 3)
• Bamberg City Councilwoman and Downtown Merchant Bobbi Bunch (District 4)
• Bamberg City Councilwoman Kim Compton (District 5)
• Bamberg County Office on Aging Executive Director Kay Clary
• Bamberg County Office on Aging Board Members : Hattie Williams, Samella Porter, and Edna Childs
• Paving Company Representative Sam Minter
• Bamberg Food Share Director Lara Buss

Bamberg Mayor Nancy Foster said the improvements to the Office on Aging are “exciting and wonderful,” and she said she is most impressed by the fact that “over 150 people are driven to their jobs everyday, which not only helps them but the overall economy of Bamberg.”

Councilwoman Sharon Hammond, who represents District 2, said, “I am so glad that participation has increased with the Office on Aging because it is such a valuable service for our senior citizens.”

Chairman Jonathan Goodman remarked on the “positive change, growth, and prosperity of Bamberg County,” stating that he doesn't expect Bamberg County to be the size of Orangeburg Aiken, or Augusta, but it should “maintain its small town mystique while still growing” because “as science tells us, if you are not growing, you are not surviving.” 

The Office on Aging Executive Director Kay Clary said they were fortunate to secure this grant because very few South Carolina organizations did, and “the paving project” was most likely the deciding factor. Board member Sam-Ella Porter exclaimed, “Everything looks wonderful, and we are all very happy with the progress we see.” 

“We are thrilled to see the progress the Bamberg Office on Aging has made and proud they sought this highly coveted grant to improve the lives of our senior citizens. Our administration was happy to assist with the bidding process for the paving portion of the upgrades,” said County Administrator Joey Preston.

The long overdue Office on Aging project is another example of how teamwork makes the dream work. The collaboration between the County and the Bamberg Office on Aging will prove most beneficial to Bamberg County senior citizens.

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For more information on this press release, email info@bambergcounty.sc.gov.