December 14, 2022 at 11:12 p.m.
‘SOCIAL’ SECURITY
‘SOCIAL’ SECURITY
Lauren Benoit, program director for Meals on Wheels, the Congregate Dining Program and Caregiver Support Program for Catholic Charities’ Senior & Caregiver Support Services, led a group of seniors through a series of deep breathing exercises and stretch work. A cheerful and encouraging guide, Benoit had residents imagine they were relaxing in the Caribbean during their workout — not a shabby location for some low-impact exercises.
On Dec. 5, seniors gathered inside the Hillside Crossings event space for the Schenectady Social Club, a program for seniors and a new partnership between the City of Schenectady and Catholic Charities of Schenectady Senior & Caregiver Support Services. The program will provide meals and activities for seniors at sites in the Bellevue, Goose Hill and Hamilton neighborhoods.
“The new program is wonderful,” said Larra More, a resident senior of Schenectady. “If anybody wants to come out it’s a great program … We have lunch and communicate with each other. The socializing part is wonderful. We meet different people and they’re really nice.”
“This is a great thing to partner with the city to bring this to people who might not know about it,” Benoit said. “Physical activity is really important, especially if you have arthritis or aches or pains … and it makes you feel good. It gets the endorphins going and a lot of people, especially if they get older, might be more socially isolated. Social isolation can lead to depression … but this is a way to get motivated.”
The Schenectady Social Club will operate Mondays at Hillside Crossing Apartments (736 Albany St.) from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesdays at the Steinmetz Park Community Center (2114 Lenox Road) from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. and Fridays at the Bellevue Cafe (2630 Broadway) from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, seniors can utilize other existing senior meal programs offered at the Ancient Order of Hibernians (1748 State St.) in the Woodlawn neighborhood, allowing seniors access to meals and social interaction five days a week.
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy hopes to expand the program over time and offer different activities in addition to exercises, like board games or cards, depending on gathered feedback.
“The partnership with Catholic Charities allows seniors to bounce back from COVID when people were isolated longer than they liked to have been,” McCarthy said. “We look at this as an opportunity to get people out, have a good time, meet some friends and get a healthy meal.”
Marlene Hildenbrandt, executive director of Catholic Charities of Schenectady Senior & Caregiver Support Services, said that any way seniors can get out is key.
“Reducing that social isolation is so important,” she said. “We know that social isolation leads to significant health problems if you’re socially isolated for long periods of time. It’s not good for cognitive functioning. Folks who are home alone all the time, there’s that need to get out, and it’s getting people back out and engaging in an environment that they’re comfortable with.”
The program will be open to all city residents 55 and older and includes a prepared lunch or brunch at a cost of $5 per participant. The program is supported through $45,000 in funding, which was included in the city’s 2022-23 operating budget for three new neighborhood senior centers.
“We saw this as an opportunity to fulfill our mission of serving older adults,” Hildenbrandt said, “and get people back out there doing what we know they can do, because age is just a number.”
To participate in the Schenectady Social Club, please call (518) 382-5007 to make a reservation.
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