Active senior center welcomes members from other towns

Members of the Willington Senior Center - Betty Robertson and Yvette Dionne - volunteer their services on Willington's Mobile Foodshare days. The truck makes its Willington stop at the senior center every other Wednesday. Photos by Lauri Voter.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, was a busy day at the Willington Senior Center. The morning started out with a scheduled visit from the Mobile Foodshare truck, which stops at the center every other Wednesday to serve the Willington community. A few of Willington's seniors snap into volunteer service mode when the truck arrives, helping to unload and then distribute the food and produce to clients, many of whom are also seniors.

On Jan. 18, 48 Willington residents braved the sunny but cold weather to participate in the food distribution. Willington Senior Center Secretary Jean LaFramboise said that the turnout was a little less than usual. The line moved quickly, and in only a few minutes, the truck departed.

The seniors quickly transitioned from volunteers to senior center members. Those who signed up 72 hours in advance for the daily lunch meal paid their $2 and collected their trays of food.

The Willington Senior Center, which is adjacent to Willington's senior housing complex, is cozily tucked in at the end of a long drive at 60 Old Farms Road. It is a hub of activity for seniors age 55 and older. The interior of its building is bright and cheery, with lots of windows offering a view.

The center's membership of 198 seniors sounds impressive, but there is always room for more in a place where “the more the merrier” seems to be the creed. New members are welcome from all towns, such as Ashford, Stafford, Union and others. Requirements are simple – $10 in annual dues and a minimum age of 55.

In addition to daily lunches, the center offers a wide variety of activities for seniors. The building itself includes a pool table room, a large sitting, dining and entertainment area, a kitchen and a separate room for crafts. Crafts are project-based and purpose-driven, usually reflecting a charitable, community or fundraising effort. Seniors gather to play cards (Setback players are needed), play pool or compete in Wii bowling matches. Birthdays are celebrated on the first Wednesday of each month, with a cake prepared by center member Elaine Luchon.

The center's trip coordinator, Laurel Millix, plans outings for the members, who can travel by the senior van or provide their own transportation. Upcoming excursions in April include a day at Old Sturbridge Village. Trips to the North Windham Walmart are frequently scheduled, and lunch excursions to area restaurants are common.

Senior center member Marilyn Parizek is part of the program committee. She said that the public is invited to stay tuned for and attend two springtime events - an antique appraisal day and a tag sale - which will take place in April. The center is also planning an educational program that will be conducted by University of Connecticut pharmacy students to provide information to seniors about medications. A spaghetti supper is scheduled for Feb. 11.

“We have a lot of activities. We have Yoga, we have Tai Chi… One thing I like about the senior center is that I never really knew that many people in Willington. I’ve come to the senior center and I’ve met so many people in town that I never knew before,” said Parizek.

Each month's general meeting is usually followed up by some sort of entertainment. On Jan. 18, somewhere between the daily lunch and entertainment provided by Stafford Senior Center's Golden Tones chorus, Willington Senior Center President Wilbur Gangaway conducted a brief business meeting, assisted by LaFramboise. Preceded by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing “America the Beautiful,” the group discussed recently-completed events, posed suggestions for upcoming activities and discussed the center's financial fitness.

Gangaway, whose term as president ends in June, hopes that at least two interested persons will step up to the plate and submit their names to the nominating committee and run in the center's upcoming officer election. “Competition is good. I think you should have two people who are running,” said Gangaway.

Gangaway, who offered to fill the role as the center's leader in the absence of other candidates, said that he is very involved in other activities, which creates time constraints for him. He would like to pass on the leadership to a new person.

In his tenure, Gangaway has been reaching out to neighboring senior centers in an effort to create an “inter-senior center” effort. Primarily, the goal of the collaborative would be to strengthen senior activities and programs through a combining of forces that would encourage senior competitions in Wii bowling and card games and increase senior trip opportunities, while developing fellowship and camaraderie among the local senior population.

“We encourage [all] seniors to come here,” said Gangaway. Gangaway said that the center is looking for volunteers to serve the center in various capacities, including senior van drivers. Detailed information about the Willington Senior Center is available by calling 860-429-8321.