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A New Year’s message from the Senior Center
Carolyn Wynn
For The Weekly News
The start
of a new year is not only a great time to think of all the possibilities that
lie ahead, but it also gives us the opportunity to reflect on the year that has
passed. In this New Year’s message, I thought it would be a great time to share
some statistics regarding the many services we have provided throughout 2023.
As many of
you know, the Peabody Council on Aging is primarily a social services agency.
For over 50 years, we have based many of our core services on the Older
Americans Act of 1965. The tenants outlined in that legislation include
Transportation, Social Services, and Nutrition. Our transportation service, “Project
Mobility,” is for Peabody residents only. We provide transportation to medical
appointments, shopping, and the PCOA to attend programs, receive services, and
share lunch with friends. We also provide many miscellaneous trips as well.
Project
Mobility provided 31,961 trips this year. Of those trips, 6,197 required using
our wheelchair lift, making our services more accessible to all.
Our social
services are also available to Peabody residents only. We often receive
requests for social services from nonPeabody residents, but we must be
steadfast in this rule, as a significant portion of our city is over 60. We
would like to be able to help everyone, but unfortunately, that is not
possible. However, we are happy to provide contact information for non-residents
to receive necessary assistance. Our social services team assists with many
services, such as health insurance (particularly during open enrollment), Mass
Health, fuel assistance, SNAP program, I & R, housing applications, and the
commodity food program. This year, we provided 16,378 units of service.
Our
licensed Adult Day Health program is the only one in the state to be operated
by a senior center, going beyond the scope of a supportive day program through
the support of our clients. The ADH program has extremely caring staff
providing needed services. Our program has allowed caregivers more time
together with their loved ones - often delaying placement in nursing homes and
many times avoiding placement altogether. The ADH program also gives clients’ families
a respite to take care of themselves. Caregiving is one of those things that
truly cannot be completely understood until you are experiencing it.
It is
always enjoyable to share a meal with friends. Our senior center operates an
independent lunch program, and all are welcome! A wonderful addition to this
nutrition program is the recently opened Friends Café, which serves older
adults from many communities. Our lunch program is one of the biggest social
programs that we have. This year, we served 31,770 meals.
I was
fortunate to be present 32 years ago when Mayor Peter Torigian cut the ribbon
to open our new senior center. His words still ring true, that all who can get
to our center will be welcome — something that has been our policy and our
strength from the beginning.
From that
day, we have always been a welcoming place to older adults from Peabody and
many surrounding communities, just as Peabody residents are welcomed in other
local senior centers. In fact, many of our volunteers are from other communities
but choose to volunteer their time and talents here at our center.
Aside from
our core services, we have a myriad of classes and activities to keep older
adults engaged and living independently in the community. There are so many
positive health benefits from participating in social activities. I know many
are looking for that “miracle cure” to stay young and mentally fit, but the one
tried and true solution is to stay active and socially engaged. There is no
better place for this than the Torigian Senior Center, as is evidenced by
12,486 people signed in for fitness and exercise programs, 19,802 activity and
class attendees, and 3,456 tickets sold for our special events.
Currently,
every available space in the center is being used. We realize that the new
generation of retirees who have started to join us are looking for more
exercise programs, and we hope to provide that. We are presently in the process
of completing our outside recreation area that will house modern pickleball and
bocce courts. This addition has transformed an unused area that will become a
place of incredible activity! We want to thank the CPA for funding this
project.
In the
near future, we hope to start a capital campaign to expand our senior center,
which will add more space for fitness programs. In the meantime, we are trying
to add afternoon exercise classes to accommodate this growing need. Remember,
we have a beautiful indoor fitness room that is staffed by helpful volunteers,
and it is free to use. Even with all that is offered here, we are always open
to suggestions for new classes and activities, so please share your ideas with
us!
I hope to
see you at our center! Fondly, Carolyn
