Photo courtesy http://www.clayalabama.org/senior-activity-center.html
By Lee Weyhrich
The Senior Activity Center in Clay may be the area’s best kept secret, at least that is what Assistant Co-directors Beth Petty and Linda Plummer think. The problem is that the center is not supposed to be a secret.
“We would love for more seniors to come,” Petty said. “People tell us all the time that they didn’t know we were here; or they knew there was a center, but they didn’t know where it was.”
The SAC is open every weekday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and a hot lunch is provided for just $1.50. There is no other cost for the program, but seniors do need to prove they are at least 60 years old. The day after New Year’s, 22 seniors were playing games ranging from bingo to a card game called ‘golf’. Plummer said that on a typical Wednesday, the center averages 30 to 35 seniors.
“A lot of our seniors are home alone a lot, and this is a good chance to meet with other members of the community,” Plummer said. “It gives them an alternative to sitting at home. People come one time and they are usually hooked.”
In addition to games, the center has a computer suite with Internet access, a crafting room, an exercise room with equipment, a ping pong table and a pool table. Throughout the month, the center also offers live entertainment, classes and get-togethers at places such as Top Hat Barbecue and Lightning Strikes Bowling
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The center also provides for people who are shut-in.
“We provide 10 to 25 meals-on-wheels to homebound people every day,” Petty said.
ClassTran provides transportation from home for many of the seniors that would like to attend, but cannot provide their own transportation. Unfortunately ClassTran is at maximum capacity and many members are on a waiting list. Plummer said the center is trying to get ClassTran to expand its service to allow more seniors to come.
“We would ultimately like 50 to 75 people to come on a regular basis,” Plummer said. “We have an excellent facility here; we just want more people to know about it.”
For more information about the center visit http://clayalabama.org/seniors.html, or call (205) 681-0238. The Senior Activity Center is located at 6415 Clay Palmerdale Road.
