Bob Foos
Area Agency on Aging to close Webb City Senior Citizens Center in two weeks
The Webb City Senior Citizens Center Advisory Board has called an emergency meeting for 9 a.m. Thursday, March 26, to discuss the announced closure of the facility on April 10.
Jennifer Shotwell, chief executive officer of the Area Agency on Aging, Region X, delivered the news on Tuesday to City Administrator Carl Francis.
Webb City’s center is the only one being closed. Those in Carl Junction, Carthage and Joplin will remain open. Meals on Wheels delivery will not be affected.
Webb City provides and maintains the Senior Citizens Center building and helped financially to keep the center during a recent government shutdown.
The region provides a manager to run the center, as well as well as three cooks. Programming includes a sit-down lunch served five days a week for a suggested cost of $4.50. Activities include exercise, socializing, movie nights and dances.
This is the letter the city received.
RE: Closure of AAAX Senior Center Programming in Webb City Effective April 10, 2026
Honorable Mayor Ragsdale and City Leadership,
The Area Agency on Aging, Region X is writing to formally notify the City of Webb City that we will discontinue all programming at the Webb City Senior Center effective April 10, 2026.
This decision follows extensive analysis and is the result of financial pressures that have made continued operations unsustainable. Steeply increasing wage, food, and general business costs – combined with stagnant federal funding and reduced support at the state level – have created a gap that can no longer be reasonably absorbed. Despite exploring every feasible alternative, we are no longer able to maintain senior center programming under these conditions.
We want to assure the City of Webb City that homebound older adults will continue to receive uninterrupted services. All home-delivered meals, case management, and other essential supports for vulnerable seniors in Webb City will continue to be provided through our central office in Joplin. No changes are planned to these services, and there should be no concern regarding the continuity of care for the community’s most at-risk older residents.
We recognize the value that the Webb City Senior Center has provided to local older adults, and this decision was made with deep consideration and regret. We remain committed to supporting the older citizens of Webb City to the fullest extent possible and will assist with transition planning, communication, and referrals during this period of change.
Thank you for your long standing partnership and for your ongoing dedication to serving Webb City’s older adults. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or would like to discuss this transition further.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Shotwell
Chief Executive Officer
Area Agency on Aging, Region X