The Turlock Senior Citizens celebrated their 60th anniversary on Thursday morning by hosting their first ever open house at the Turlock Senior Center at 1191 Cahill Ave. – the organization’s home since 1971. The event allowed local seniors to tour the facility while exploring the different resources and activities offered to the community.
Karen Valek serves as the president of the Turlock Senior Citizens and spoke about the significance of the organization celebrating 60 years.
“To me, it says that our seniors are very viable and we like our community connection,” she said. “We like being social with each other and just enjoying our life after retirement. Now we have time for fun, and that's really what we're trying to provide here. It's just a nice place to come. They still like to stay busy and they look forward to coming in.”
Some of the fun activities that guest were able to try out and sign up for included acrylic painting, Jim Ingram’s Big Band, Sunshine Strummers ukulele, billiards, quilting, yoga, bingo, line dancing, pinochle, dominos and more. In total, there are 14 activities held throughout the week at the center – all free of charge.
“Today’s event gives people the chance to see what we have to offer,” Valek added. “If they see anything like, they can sign up now or come visit us anytime we have those events scheduled.”
The center is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and community members can swing by to pick up a schedule of weekly activities. The brand-new Senior Center Café that opened last month also gives local seniors a place to socialize while enjoying a hearty meal. And while there is already plenty of fun, Valek believes that there is much more room to grow.
“We're always looking for more people, because with more people joining us, maybe we could provide even more for the community,” she said.
Kathy Murray of the Sunshine Strummers ukulele group explained that increasing membership in all of the Senior Center’s activities is essential, especially as the organization continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced most operations to go dormant.
“The band and a lot of the other activities used to have such large numbers… The entire space would be filled with people,” Murray said. “We’re slowly getting more people involved, so we’re really trying to spread the word.”
Murray personally hopes that more people knowing about the center and some of its programs can help the Big Band find a piano player, something they’ve needed for quite some time. And like Valek, she believes that greater use of the center and increased participation could lead to facility improvements, such as the installation of Wi-Fi and modern décor.
In a sense, Thursday morning’s celebration was a time of reflection for some who have been involved with the Turlock Senior Citizens for years while at the same time being able to excitingly look towards the future.
“We want the room filled with music and talking and laughter,” Valek said. “As we look to grow, it’s important that we give a shoutout to the City of Turlock too. We appreciate how they've helped us move forward and keep us up and running.”
Valek encourages everyone interested in Turlock Senior Center activities to either stop by the center during the week, email the Turlock Senior Center at Info@TurlockSeniors.org, or call her at (209) 568-9323.
