Senior Center expands programs outside of Manistee
Hello, Manistee County! Hope you had a great week and have something fun planned for the weekend. We all had a great time at the Valentine’s Day party. The meal was delicious ; Manistee area public school food is awesome. They cooked a beautiful meal with ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans, fruit and a blueberry cobbler crumble for all to enjoy. The good thing is that people were pleasantly surprised that this was the meal that went to all of the dining venues and all of our homebound customers. Thank you MAPS, you are all rock!
I had some really good meetings this week with different people regarding some fun events that will be happening in the next few months. The library has a great presentation with a tribal conservation officer who will be doing a birds of prey program with birds that cannot be released back into the wild. I can’t wait to see this one. We will be working with Benzie Senior Resources on a fun program in the Thompsonville Copemish area and hope to have a large group of seniors to come join the fun. We also work with the Pleasant Valley Community Center to provide fun programs in the Arcadia area. I’m so excited to start bringing more programming to the whole county. Since the pandemic hit, we’ve been kind of stuck in the main building, but it will be nice to do some extra things.
If you didn’t already know, we had a great presentation last week with Barb carrying the Olympic Torch to the 2002 Olympics. To me that’s a once in a lifetime thing. life. Everyone said that his presentation was very interesting. Thank you Barb for taking the time to share such a wonderful and inspiring program.
Last week we had the beautiful Laurie Blevins as Celebrity Bingo Caller. Laurie is an engineer at PCA and did a fantastic job. Everyone loves having our celebrities calling bingo, it allows all of us to meet people in our community and learn what they are up to.
This week County Commissioner Jeff Dontz is coming to call the bingo. If you want to join the fun, stop by Wednesday morning at 10:45 a.m. Anyone 60 and older who lives in Manistee County is welcome to participate.
Just so everyone knows, we have the building open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday for the walk. This way you can stop and walk when you can walk. We have a nice little path that will go for miles if you do the loop multiple times. We hope to see you soon.
February 21-25. Menus are subject to change.
Monday: Fish fillet with lemon pepper, rice pilaf, lima beans, diced carrots, sliced peaches, wrap
Tuesday: Chicken ala king, cauliflower, mix of spring vegetables, blueberries, bread
Wednesday: Hamburger sauce, mashed potatoes, mixed cali vegetables, applesauce, cookie
Thursday: Chicken fajita, sautéed onions and peppers, fiesta beans, mixed berries, tortilla shell
Friday: Oven-roasted turkey, stuffing, corn, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, roll
I just noticed something on our calendar for next Tuesday. Did you know it’s National Margarita Day? I haven’t either, but I’m glad. Nothing better than a good Margarita! You never know what we may have in store that day. Come listen to some fun music and enjoy a treat!
Friday we had our senior food bank; it’s amazing how many people we serve in Manistee County. We are going to need your help. We have worked with a wonderful group, Hearts for Critters, who have provided dog and cat food to our food banks for years. Many seniors’ pets are their best friends, and if you’re on a tight budget, feeding your pets can be difficult. Hearts for Critters, which was a non-profit group, disbands. I have contacted some corporations and other businesses to see if they can help and am awaiting their responses. Our mission is to help seniors in Manistee County. I’m looking for other organizations that have a mission to help animals, so we can work together. If you would like to help, you can donate bags of dog and cat food or monetary gifts so that we can purchase food. If you have any questions or ideas, please give us a call.
I hope you are having a wonderful week and don’t forget to try something new!
GROUP MEALS
The Wagoner Community Center catering site serves lunch Monday through Friday at noon. Don’t forget to call and reserve your lunch by noon the night before. The Wellston catering site is temporarily closed. The Onekama meal site at the Farr Center distributes meals at 11:15 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays for curbside takeout. The Marilla dining site will resume serving Wednesday lunches from March 2. Keep in mind that the menu is subject to change, as some food shortages may affect the kitchen.
FOOD BANK
The Senior Center Food Bank takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on the third Friday of the month. Manistee County seniors age 60 and older can participate. If you are picking up for another senior, make sure you have a power of attorney note, along with their name, address, date of birth, and household information. Cash and non-perishable food donations are always appreciated. The next food bank will be March 18 at 260 St. Mary’s Parkway.
EMERGENCY FOOD AID
If you are a senior in Manistee County and need emergency food assistance, call the Senior Center at 231-723-6477 and speak to a staff member. We have an emergency food pantry that we use to help prevent food insecurity for our elderly population during these times.
SENIOR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM
The MCCOA has a program designed to help seniors stay independent by reimbursing eligible expenses. If you are a senior in Manistee County, you may be eligible for reimbursement for payments you made for house cleaning, yard work, and snow removal services. For current Seniors Reimbursement Program clients, please note that all receipts must be current and not older than 30 days. Income conditions apply. New customers must complete a registration form. Mail all receipts to 260 St. Mary’s Parkway. Call the Senior Center at 231-723-6477 ext. 214, for more information. Once a senior has moved out of their home, they are no longer eligible for the reimbursement program.
EXERCISE OPPORTUNITIES
Sit and Get Fit is Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Wagoner Community Center. Cardio-drums classes start at 4 p.m. on Thursday evenings. Yoga classes are Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. (chair yoga) and Thursdays at 3 p.m. (regular yoga). Tai Chi takes place at 9 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Zumba classes are Mondays and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. The indoor walking group meets at 1 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. on Mondays. All classes are free for all seniors and donations are accepted for those under 60.
DEMENTIA SUPPORT GROUP
The Dementia Support Group will meet on the second Thursday of the month. The group is a friendly and supportive gathering for caregivers, family members, or anyone interested in learning about and supporting our community of seniors with dementia. The next meeting will be at 3 p.m. on March 10. Contact Jacki Krolczyk, 231-883-1341 for more information.
PARKINSON SUPPORT GROUP
The Parkinson Support Group meets at 11 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month. The next support group meeting will be March 17 at the Wagoner Community Center. Call Marcia Holbrook at 614-937-4442 for more information. There are no meetings in January or February.
The Manistee County Council on Aging has launched a medication management program. Jean Anderson, the staff RN, is available to help with this. Don’t hesitate to call with your questions. 231-723-6477 ext. 215
EVENTS TO COME
the 21st of February
• 9:00 a.m. Tai Chi
• 11 a.m. Walking group
• 1 p.m. Mah Jongg
• 2 p.m. Zomba
February 22
• 11:00 a.m. Music with Sonny
• 2:00 p.m. Knitting/crochet circle
• 3:30 p.m. Chair yoga
February 23
• 9:00 a.m. Tai Chi
• 10:30 a.m. TOPS
• Fun Bingo at 11:00 a.m.
• 1:30 p.m. Genealogy group
• 2 p.m. Zomba
February 24
• 10 a.m. Meal planning for diabetics
• 10:00 a.m.
• 3 p.m. Yoga
• 4 p.m. Cardio-drums
February 25
• 12:30 p.m. Painting with Deb Fri, 1 p.m. Walking group