Senior Happenings: Mental wellness through the holidays
Happy Thanksgiving, Shawnee! What a great time of year to be thankful! Even if we are experiencing tough times, we can still stop and find things for which we can be grateful. I hope you have an opportunity to spend time with family or friends, in person or by phone.
If you would like to enjoy a good meal, Salvation Army will be serving a Thanksgiving lunch on a take-out basis on Thursday, November 25 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. We appreciate the Salvation Army and all they do for our community. If you see a red pot and one of their bell ringers this holiday season, please as generous as you are able.
For some, the holidays can be an unsettling time. We may enjoy certain aspects of the season, but others might be unpleasant. I hope you can find a balance in your life during the next several weeks, as we all need reminders to focus on the positive.
Here at the Senior Recreation Center at 401 N. Bell, we promote health, wellness, and active living. Our Wellness Wednesday emphasis this week is on “Mental Wellness Through the Holidays.” Ms. Tina Singleton of Kindful Hospice will be providing some great wellness tips on navigating the holiday season at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 24. Anyone is welcome.
The Senior Rec Center provides programs and services for individuals aged 55+. We have ongoing groups, fitness classes, sports, crafts, and games. Our hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and we are operated by the City of Shawnee Recreation Department.
We are currently taking applications for a part-time Recreation Aide position. The ideal candidate would have a passion for people, positive customer service skills, general abilities with computers, and a flexible team-centered attitude. For more information about this position, please contact me directly at 405-1528 or via email at amy.riggins@shawneeok.org
On Tuesday, November 30 at 2:30 p.m., we will be offering a Christmas wood painting class. Thanks to the generous skills of Jim Hudson, we have cutouts of the word “Christmas,” similar to the Thanksgiving wood painting class we had last month. If you would like to participate, please sign up at the Senior Rec Center front desk or call 405-878-1528. Space is limited for this free wood painting class, so sign up now!
As you may know, Project Heart is a state-wide program administrating federal services in a variety of ways including a noontime meal Monday-Friday. Project Heart is currently serving meals on a take-out basis only at the Community Center at 804 S. Park. While you must be registered for their program, age is the only qualifier as they serve anyone age 60+. Each participant must have a reservation the business day prior, just so they know how much food to cook, and they serve their meals for a suggested donation of $1.50. For more information, contact Project Heart directly at 405-275-4530 on Mondays-Fridays between their new hours of 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.
The Senior Rec Center will be closed for Thanksgiving on both Thursday and Friday, November 25 and 26. Project Heart will not be serving meals at the Community Center either day. Both will reopen on Monday, November 29.
If you listen to radio, you can hear more updates by tuning in each Wednesday morning at 8:35 a.m. for during the "Mike in the Morning Show," found at KGFF on your radio dial at 100.9 FM or 1450 AM. We appreciate Mike, KGFF, and the CPN Nation for their continued support!
Stay active and healthy, and we look forward to seeing you at the center!
Amy Riggins is recreation facility supervisor for the City of Shawnee, managing a variety of facilities, events and programs.
This article originally appeared on The Shawnee News-Star: Senior Happenings: Mental wellness through the holidays
