 |
| Clarence Wisecup and Blanche Alexander |
The
Lakes Region Senior Center has moved around quite a bit in their seven-year
history but has settled in nicely at the Little Falls Activity Center in
Gorham, where they hope to stay for the long haul.
The
center was founded after Tim Hortons in Windham closed. The first president, Glen
Lynds, ran an ad looking for others interested in developing a place for
seniors to gather. Current president Blanche Alexander was among those to
answer the call.
The
Lakes Region Senior Center is a membership organization and operates as a
drop-in center. Members don’t need to
sign up for specific activities – they show up and participate however they see
fit. “They come because they’re lonely,
they’re looking for companionship,” Alexander said. “It doesn’t mean you have
to do something, just come and enjoy being with others.”
Founding
member Clarence Wisecup said that there are only a few married couples who are
members. “A lot of our members are singles who live alone,” he said. The center
gives them a place to come and socialize.
The
official hours of the center are from 9 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday. Many
members stay past 1 pm, however, and they are welcome to be in the room
whenever the building is open. The center has a newsletter published each month
by Wisecup to keep members informed of activities and upcoming events.
Weekly
events include Mah Jong on Mondays, card games on Tuesdays, twice per month
board meetings on Wednesdays, Bingo on Thursdays, and a new crafting group on
Fridays. They also have use of the gym for walking every Monday from 9 am to 11
am. “We try to find things that will interest different groups at different
times,” Alexander said.
One
popular monthly event is the luncheons the center puts on, which include a
speaker on various topics of interest to seniors. In January, a police officer
from Portland spoke to the group about RAD (Resisting Aggression Defensively).
Alexander
said they also try to let members who are ill and can’t get out know that the
group is thinking about them. Wisecup adds that they have a member who will
call people on a regular basis, just to talk and relieve loneliness.
The
center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. They conduct a few fundraisers
throughout the year, including a bake sale at one of the election sites in
Gorham. Next November, they’ll participate in a Christmas Fair to raise funds.
Wisecup
said they’d love to have a manager to run the center, but because they operate
on a volunteer basis, it’s difficult to find someone who wants to devote that
much time to the center.
“A
lot of our seniors have been doing this all their lives, working, volunteering,
and now they’re coming to have a little down time,” Alexander said. “They don’t
want to come here and work.”
There
are currently 66 members in the Lakes Region Senior Center, and their current
goal is to reach 70 members. Membership costs $20 per year and is open to anyone
50 years old or older in the surrounding communities.
Alexander
said that the places that offered the center a temporary space – the Grange,
North Gorham church, and Sunset Ridge - were all very kind to the group. “They
all tried to help us as much as they could,” she said. The group loves having a space to call their
own now, she added. “We wanted a place to call home, and everyone has been
satisfied so far.”
The
senior center has been a bright spot in Alexander’s life. “When I retired from
nursing, I was looking for something special to do. That ad in the paper was a
godsend to me because it’s been a wonderful experience for me,” she said.
