Senior Center
| The Elizabethtown Area Senior Center is an activity center for the well-elderly area residents over 60 years old. The Center is a service of GEARS and functions in cooperation with the Lancaster County Office of Aging. The Center has a large service area that includes the communities of Elizabethtown, Bainbridge, Mount Joy, Salunga, Landisville and Manheim. Door-to-door transportation is available for participants, as needed. |  |
| The Senior Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 am-4 pm. Structured activities are offered from 9 am-1:30 pm. Pinochle, bridge, computer tutoring and square dance are scheduled during the afternoon hours from 1-4 pm. The quilting club is a new activity this year. This group meets on Thursdays and enjoys making quilted pillows, sweatshirt jackets and baby quilts. | |
| The Senior Center follows the programming guidelines required by the Office of Aging, and generally offers 90-100 activities each month. | |
| Exercise programs are available each day which include Chi-Gung, armchair aerobics, square dancing, walking in the gym and a morning stretch class that was added this year. | |
| Educational seminars are offered on many age related health issues, as well as consumer and financial issues. Currently all programs are offered at no cost to participants. Seniors are encouraged to attend the activities that interest them or spend several hours enjoying companionship with others. | |
| Special events and parties are also important to all participants. One of the year’s highlights was a birthday party for everyone with special recognition for those folks over 85 years old. There were 19 special guests for the party ranging in age from 85 years to 100 years. | |
| Community relationships are important to the operation and programming of the Center. The Senior Center continues to work with the staff from the Masonic Village Music Therapy Department to offer a music therapy class twice a month. This is a very popular class with many participants. The Center has also started a bell choir group. Also this year the Center is working jointly with Property Management to sponsor a bingo party at Nissley Chocolate Factory Apartments once a month. The Center is hoping to build on this relationship to offer other activities for Community residents in that area. There have been many volunteers throughout the year with a program at Elizabethtown College. Participants teach students table games and share life experiences. | |
| The Norlanco-Rheems Kiwanis Club assisted with the flu shot clinic and gave each lady a rose. The Senior Center also has a community partnership with the Lancaster General Hospital School of Nursing. Groups of student nurses visit the Center to practice their listening skills and taking vital signs. There was also a Saturday event so the evening class students could practice their new skills. | |
| Evening activities are very popular. The first Friday of each Month is Pizza and ‘beer’ night (root beer and birch beer, of course). These evenings includes lots of pizza, table games and fun. Seniors in GEARS is a group that meets the second Wednesday of each month for dinner. Each month a different restaurant is chosen. Senior Socials are the third Wednesday of each month during the Summer months. These evenings includes a light buffet meal and entertainment. Kellogg’s sponsored the Senior Social season this year. | |
| The seniors take an active role in the operation of the Senior Center. The Advisory Council participates in the planning of programs and fundraisers. They also have an active role in the decision making for the Center. | |
| Fundraisers are held throughout the year. These events are important to the operation of the Center as well as to the programming. Candy Easter Eggs and the Fall Bazaar are large events planned by the seniors. The Ham Dinner is an annual event for many years and is also prepared and served by the seniors. The Pancake Breakfast is sponsored and prepared by the local Lions Club to benefit the Senior Center and coincides with the bazaar event. Most fundraisers have community businesses to sponsor the event. This year the candy committee made Easter eggs, peanut butter pumpkins, candy turkeys, chocolate covered pretzels and peppermint patties throughout the year. |
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Pinochle Party |
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4th Saturday of each month at 6 pm |
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$5 per person Single deck, play by house rules Prizes awarded to the top scorers of the evening. *Door Prizes, too.* Food available, at an additional cost, starting at 6 pm. |
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BINGO |
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We have many types of bingo games available throughout the month. Call the Center for the schedule. |
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EXERCISE |
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| When it’s too hot to be outside, you can still exercise: | |
| •Walking in the gym every morning Monday-Friday from 8:30-9:30 am. | |
| •Stretch with Susanne every Thursday at 10 am. November through January, class is every Tuesday & Thursday at 10 am. | |
| •Chi-Gung runs February through October and is every Tuesday at 10 am. | |
| •Square Dance is every Wednesday at 1 pm | |
| •Armchair FunFitness is every Wednesday at 10:30 am from September through May. | |
