E-Mail
Print
tool name
closeFor seniors, the key to staying engaged is recreation and fellowship with others, community leaders say. Several cities in the county are having success with senior center programs, where many boomers and seniors are volunteering and participating in classes and fun activities.
The city of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department, for example, has gourmet cooking classes for boomers and a softball league for those 50 and older. A dance class will start this fall.
There are also monthly health and wellness seminars, and a hiking and camera club. The City Council recently approved funding to build a parking lot behind the city’s Senior Center in Mitchell Park downtown and is in the process of remodeling the center’s kitchen. A study to determine if there’s a need for a new center has been put on hold for now due to budget constraints, said Sheridan Bohlken, recreation supervisor for seniors and teens. “It’s still on the horizon, but it has not been put into action at this time,’’ she said.
At the Central Coast Senior Center in Oceano, seniors play bingo, bridge, pinochle and other card games, get health screenings, have potlucks with friends or go on monthly bus trips to San Luis Obispo, Cambria or Morro Bay. The center, the only one between San Luis Obispo and Nipomo, is an important link for people who crave frequent social interaction, said president Betty Milne. Its 200 members come from Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach and Oceano.
With limited funding (the center relies on private donations, fundraisers and membership dues), Milne said it can be difficult to keep the center going. She would like to expand programs and services, and increase participation, however.
“Bill Gates’ partner (Paul Allen) at Microsoft adopted senior centers in the state of Washington,’’ she said. “It would be nice if someone would come forward and do something like that.”
In Paso Robles, locals can find everything from free tax preparation assistance, legal counsel and referrals for in-home care to woodworking and arts and crafts at the city’s senior center.
The six-year-old center operates on an activities budget of about $18,000, with the city taking care of the building and staffing, said director Linda Holt.
“It’s really one-stop shopping,’’ she said. “We have a vision for the future to see it expand to a complete fitness center. That’s the biggest trend in aging. Just because a person turns a certain number doesn’t mean they have to stop moving.”
What you should know about comments on SanLuisObispo.com
SanLuisObispo.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. See our full terms of service here.
Here are some rules of the road:
- Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
- Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
- Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
- Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and leave him a public message.
- Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
- Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
- Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
- Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
You should also know that The Tribune does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at webmaster@sanluisobispo.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the username of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to webmaster@sanluisobispo.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.
About comments
Reader comments on SanLuisObispo.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Tribune. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.