This Week at Rotary

More Than a Senior Center

At our recent meeting, the club welcomed Terry Arnold, Director of the Salem Council on Aging, joined by Board Chair Lynda Coffill, for a wide-ranging look at the services that support older residents across our city. What came through most clearly was the sheer breadth of what the Council quietly does every day, and how much of it depends on the kind of community partnership Rotary knows well.

Most of us picture a senior center as a place for classes and coffee. The Salem Council on Aging is that, but it is also a social services hub. Two social workers, one bilingual in Spanish, along with a social service navigator help residents work through homelessness, eviction, housing affordability, SNAP benefits, and health insurance. Medicare open enrollment is one of their busiest seasons; longtime staffer Sharon Felton brings thirty years of experience to guiding seniors through their plan choices.

Getting people to the help they need is its own challenge, and the Council's transportation program is a standout. A fleet of half a dozen vans plus two electric vehicles provides roughly 1,100 one-way rides every month to medical appointments, to Crosby's, Market Basket, and Walmart, and to the center itself. The service is free, supported by voluntary donations, and reaches Salem plus a neighboring community each day.

Weekday congregate meals, offered through AgeSpan, are free with a voluntary donation. For some residents they are the main meal of the day; for others, the real value is the company. A continental breakfast is served in the mornings, and a kitchen renovation is planned at the Community Life Center.

On the wellness side, the free fitness room is open weekday mornings, and the class schedule runs from Pilates and chair yoga to Zumba, balance classes, and a Parkinson's fitness program that has grown so popular it had to be expanded. Holistic offerings round things out with meditation, a Reiki clinic, and sound healing. Outside and in, raised garden beds and a hydroponic garden supply fresh produce, a small answer to a real problem, as fresh food grows harder to afford on a fixed income.

The Council's Memory Cafe, held monthly for those living with dementia and their caregivers, drew particular attention. With brain games, sing-alongs, and memory-triggering activities, it offers connection and respite, supported by a Community Development Block Grant alongside caregiver and grief support groups.

The presentation underscored how interwoven the Council is with the rest of Salem. Salem State nursing students run blood pressure clinics and nutrition education each Wednesday during the school year, and turn the Salem Pantry's weekly deliveries into healthy recipes for attendees. Intergenerational projects connect seniors with local students, both public and private.

Behind it all is an active, city-appointed board. Linda Coffel, who has chaired it for some eleven years, described members who show up at budget hearings, planning board and ZBA meetings, and historic commission hearings to advocate for senior housing including Lee Fort Terrace, now open and accepting residents, the South Campus project, and the veteran housing renovation at Tabernacle Church. These are board members who serve meals at events as readily as they provide oversight.

Funded largely by the city, supplemented by a state formula grant and the work of the Friends of the Council on Aging, the organization stretches every dollar to keep Salem's older residents healthy, housed, and connected. Our thanks to Terri and Linda for a thorough and energizing look at their work, and a reminder that caring for our neighbors is very much a shared community effort.

INSTALLATION DINNER

Jason Lang’s Installation as our next President, scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, June 23 at 5:15 PM at Root. The buffet dinner choices will be steak tips or baked haddock, as well as a variety of sides, appetizers, and desserts. There will also be a cash bar available. Member price is an additional $21 to our weekly meal cost, and guests will be $56 each. Please RSVP by June 16 by emailing Jason at jasonplang@yahoo.com, and please include your name, number of tickets, and dinner preferences.