Trending
EAST FREEDOM -- After more than a year of off and on closings and openings due to the pandemic, Blair Senior Services has opened its senior centers without restrictions.
Local seniors, who have experienced social isolation because of the virus, are happy to finally be engaged again and see their friends and neighbors in a community setting.
"It's home away from home," Ken Lingenfelter, of East Freedom, said of the Southern Blair Senior Center. "I was isolated for a whole year. It was lonesome, and there was nowhere to go and nothing to do."
"It's like a family," said Joe Shoemaker of Duncansville. "We haven't seen (each other) for two years. It's nice to go back and see all your friends and we're playing poker, which we haven't done for a while."
Shoemaker and Lingenfelter attend activities and
gatherings at the senior center in East Freedom.
In April, Blair Senior Services' four centers reopened, but restrictions such as masking, capacity limits and social distancing were in effect. At the end of June, restrictions were lifted and things returned to normal.
Central Blair Senior Center Coordinator Tiffany Finamore is among those glad to be back.
"It feels good to get people back together and see each other's faces," Finamore said. "It's wonderful."
Jamie Houck, coordinator for the Williamsburg Senior Center, echoed that sentiment.
Houck said that while the pandemic is far from over, sufficient progress has been made to allow people to meet face-to-face.
"It's nice to be back to some sort of normalcy," Houck said. "It's nice to be able to see everybody again, and everybody is back and just excited to see each other again and participate in activities again."
Tina Fultz is excited that restrictions as a result of COVID-19 are no more.
"Everybody is glad masking is gone," said Fultz, the Northern Blair Senior Center coordinator. "We were so happy about being able to sit together again, too."
While Blair Senior Services doesn't require clients to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the organization's president, Steve Williamson said the vaccine rollout was a major factor in the decision to reopen.
"That's what made it easy for us; while we're not screening people, the vaccination rates made reopening a lot easier," Williamson said.
While senior centers were closed, the organization delivered meals and made them available for pick-up for local seniors. Activities were also shifted to a virtual format, including exercise and Tai chi classes.
While the organization did its best to serve its clients amid an unprecedented global crisis, the virus limited its outreach and left seniors grappling with the lack of social stimulation.
Veronica Metz, of Martinsburg, who attends the Southern Blair Senior Center, said the facility's return to in-person functions has filled a void for her.
"We have a good time," Metz said. "It's just nice to be able to smile again."
Williamson said that void, felt by Metz and many others, was hard on his clients.
"People missed face-to-face contact," which is often taken for granted, Williamson said. "It's not valued enough until it's not there. Some people may already have a limited ability to access stuff," he said. "When you shut that down it's a detriment to people's ability to function independently."
When the centers were forced to close due to the pandemic, "We had people in tears," Williamson said. "There's a toll on people when that happens, especially older people."
With restrictions dropped and the doors open, area senior center coordinators and clients are glad to be back.
"It's amazing and everyone is so excited," Fultz said.
Mirror Staff Writer Andrew Mollenauer is at 814-946-7428.