September is Senior Center Month
Share this post:
Bingo, parties, lunches, but mostly good friends bring in members to their area senior centers, including ones in Etna, Sharpsburg, Tarentum and Center North in Allison Park.
The four centers are run by the nonprofit Northern Area Multi Service Center, or NAMS, according to Brian Metzer, senior director of its home and community based programs.
“It’s a chance to meet different people from all walks of life. You never know who you’re going to encounter,” he said.
The National Council of Aging recognizes September as National Senior Center month, which highlights the importance of these places.
Sandra Salmon, 73, of Shaler has been coming to the Etna Senior Service Center for more than eight years.
“I enjoy everything we do. Bingos, parties, puzzles. We have all kinds of things to do here. And I love helping out in the kitchen,” Salmon said.
Along with Etna, the nonprofit centers include the Tarentum-Highlands Senior Service Center in Tarentum, Body and Soul Health and Wellness Center in Sharpsburg, and Center North, located at Parkwood Presbyterian Church on Mt. Royal Boulevard in Allison Park.
These centers were forced to close in March 2020 because of the pandemic and began reopening in 2021, with Center North getting back to business just this past May.
Meg Mulkearns, the Meals on Wheels operations supervisor and senior center coordinator, said many seniors felt isolated during the covid outbreak.
“They missed their friends, they missed socialization and seeing people. They wanted to get back,” she said.
Anyone over the age of 60 is invited to become a member, which is free. And members can belong to more than one center, Metzer said.
In addition to lunch, activities range from bingo, crafts, exercises, chair yoga, games, and more. The centers occasionally hold bake sales with the money going back into the center for their operations, Metzer said.
Members can sign up for trips to sites or events around the city, such as to a local casino. This month Center North scheduled a trip to the Asian Lantern Festival at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium and a dinner at the Hofbrauhaus in the South Side of Pittsburgh, Mulkearns said. Call or visit each center for that month’s events, she said.
Center North is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Metzer said.
The centers are funded through the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, according to Metzer. Members who don’t drive can utilize ACCESS Transportation Systems of Allegheny County, and managers at each center will help coordinate that, Metzer said.
NAMS also prepares Meals and Wheels for the homebound, he said.
Staffing was a challenge after the pandemic. Even though things are returning to normal, Metzer is looking for a coordinator for Center North.
“If someone has a huge heart, and they like working with seniors. Then they can call me,” he said.
He can be contacted at 412-781-1176.
Volunteers are always welcome to help with lunches, clean up or calling out Bingo numbers, he said.
Members enjoy parties during the holidays, dances or karaoke. The Pittsburgh Ballroom Dancers recently performed at Center North.
The centers regularly host speakers on a variety of topics, including experts on how to avoid fraud. Landmark Health home care provides health and wellness services and blood pressure checks.
Salmon convinced her boyfriend to become a member, as he was usually driving her there. She attends each of the three days that the Etna center is open. The center’s coordinator Lorraine Cunningham makes it “so much fun.”
“I look forward to it,” Salmon said.
For hours and activities, call:
Center North — 412-486-6426
Etna — 412-781-6517
Sharpsburg — 412-781-1176 x 2107
Tarentum — 724-224-1552
Or visit www.buildingindependence.org to access their Facebook page or Twitter.