MC Senior Center valuable

Senior centers are little noticed by many and misunderstood by even more. Until you visit one or know someone who does, they are invisible in most people's lives. If you look around, you will discover that one of the 15,000 senior centers in the U.S. are probably located in your neighborhood or in a town nearby. Did you know that five are located here in Planning District Nine?

There are some young seniors who are now curious about senior centers. Others think they know and have no interest. Times are changing and senior centers are worth discovering.

It may help to know that our senior centers strive to provide programs and activities in each county four days a week to help keep you active and engaged. Staying active, mentally and physically, keeps you stronger and more independent.  Our five local senior centers, operated by Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services (RRCS) are located in the towns of Madison, Culpeper, Warrenton, Orange and Scrabble (Rappahannock County).  They are open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  You can attend as many days per week as you like depending on availability.

With more than 300 members across all five sites, another benefit of joining a senior center is the socialization and friendships.  Our centers provide mature active adults with friends, interesting activities, and the chance to get involved with and in the community. Being retired can be lonely if you stay home and for many senior centers can provide contact with others through all sorts of activities. 

Carol from Madison said, “I would sit home by myself if I didn't have this. What kind of life is that? I have so much fun and am staying really busy now – I love it."

You must be 60 or older to join a senior center.  With the baby boomers starting to turn 60 there are lots of opinions about what to call our sites.  Originally called congregate nutrition centers, they are now called senior centers, other names currently being used include active adult center or adult activity centers. 

It doesn’t really matter what you call it, just know that our centers provide a choice of activities that vary across sites and can change from season to season.  Programs include nutritional education, health promotion, projects, outings, shopping trips, volunteer opportunities, games, exercise and wellness programs and just plain socializing!

Each day a nutritious noon meal is prepared for all to enjoy at the center. There are also trained advocates to assist individuals with confusing or difficult paperwork and will provide aid with enrollment into programs or services they may be eligible for. 

You must be able to take care of yourself or be accompanied by someone who can help you. There is no membership fee required, but a donation for the noon meal is suggested on a sliding scale.  All of the centers are handicapped accessible.

For information on our local senior centers, please check out the RRCS Web site at www.rrcsb.org or call me at (540) 825-3100, ext. 3358.

Aging Together is a community partnership taking action now to improve quality of life for the growing population of older adults.  Join Aging Together in Madison at their monthly meetings 1:30 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Madison Department of Social Services office.

For information, contact Kathi Walker at (540) 829-6045 or kwalker@agingtogether.org or visit the Web site at www.agingtogether.org.

(Guest columnist Lola Walker is a volunteer and aging services manager for Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services and a member of Madison Aging Together. She lives in Culpeper. She oversees the area’s senior centers, including the one in Madison, the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Meals on Wheels. She can be reached at [540] 825-3100, ext. 3358.)