The Chesapeake Community Center is a vital part of the eastern end. It provides a convenient place for a variety of activities, from its exercise and weight room with state of the art equipment to its gym where players can work one-on-one with coaches to master skill set.

Over on one end of the aging former school building are two modular units whose use has resurrected the senior center for that part of the county that was shut down by the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization when senior funding was cut.

Just as important as any of the above is that the center is the headquarters for the Christian Mission Outreach’s food pantry that helps hundreds of families each month trying to make ends meet.

Just like these families, the center itself is trying to make ends meet.

Last winter unable to pay its natural gas bill, the heat was turned off. Not only did it become an unpleasant place to work, but it cost the center revenue as some members went elsewhere.

That was money the center vitally needed. Periodically staff and supporters try to build up funds with spaghetti dinners or cornbread and bean lunches.

That’s admirable and unselfish of them. But in no way is it enough. If the community wants to keep the center open and functioning, it must band together, get creative and come up with a real fundraiser — one that will significantly cover the bills.

If not, it will soon be “bye bye center.”