KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For months, the community room at the Five Points community has stayed closed. It was where residents held Bible studies, where they held bingo and where people gathered to enjoy each others' company. It was a place where seniors could go and enjoy time together.
It closed in May after the former director retired, causing staffing issues.
During a Christmas party in the community, they learned they could soon return to the room. The Knox County Community Action Committee announced it on Friday, telling them residents they hired a new director who could reopen the room, staffing it like usual.
"While we were there, the property manager told us that they had hired a community room director, so that community room is going to open back up," said Vivian Shipe, an advocate who worked closely with city leaders to reopen the room.
She said that the senior population at Five Points has additional needs compared to other communities. Seniors can easily feel isolated and lonely, but the community room could be used to help them feel connected to others.
They also announced that the room would have new resources, like Wi-Fi connections so people could connect with people across the room while also spending time with each other.
"They'll be able to use the Wi-Fi for their work to be able to have their Bible studies or their resident association meetings," said Shipe.
Shipe called the decision to reopen the community room a Christmas miracle and said that residents at Five Points will not need to spend the beginning of the new year alone because of it.