Shelby County is great for many reasons, not least of which are the opportunities afforded all populations and age groups.

We have excellent schools, thriving youth leagues, a wonderful library system, countless clubs and organizations and great senior centers, to pick out a few.

Now Columbiana officials are doing their best to add to the list of excellent senior centers by applying for a grant to help renovate a county-owned building into a new senior center.

The current senior center only provides space for approximately 20 seniors at a time, and attendance has outgrown that space.

The city is looking to net $250,000 from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which would help renovate the old health department building at the corner of Mildred and Milner streets.

During a recent public hearing on the grant application, Terry Acuff, who is writing the grant for the city, called for Columbiana seniors to write letters explaining why a new senior center is needed. The deadline for such letters is July 15.

ADECA will consider 20-25 grants, and only about half of those will be accepted, Acuff said.

We encourage all Columbiana seniors who use the current senior center — and those who don’t — to write letters explaining why a new one would either enhance their senior center experience or, perhaps, interest them in giving Columbiana’s senior programs a chance.

Great community programs do nothing but help Shelby County grow in a positive manner. Columbiana’s proposal to turn an existing vacant building into a thriving senior center will only improve the quality of life in Columbiana and, therefore, in Shelby County. Now Columbiana’s citizens must do their part to ensure the proposal has the best chance of acceptance possible.

The We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.