The Gloria J. Parks Silver Enrichment Program offers a variety of free activities that keep our seniors active and engaged! Our program runs Monday through Friday, from 9:30AM-2PM. We offer a great space for making new friends, staying active and maintaining your health, and experiencing new opportunities and resources in our community.

To start, we welcome you to join us each morning at our center with a warm cup of coffee, fellowship, board games and fun with our *Good Morning Gloria* program! We also encourage you to share in a warm meal at the center each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12p-12:30p. The lunch program is provided by the Erie County Nutrition program, meaning that each meal is nutritionally balanced, and only costs a suggested donation fee of $3 (but any amount is accepted).

A main focus of our program rests on helping you maintain your health and well-being, from stretch band fitness, to Hustle for Health (upbeat line dancing), to a relaxing session of Tai Chi. Even more, for those over the age of 55, we provide free access to our weight room and cardio room featuring treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes. You can also take advantage of our Certified Personal Trainer!

As an additional benefit to the program, we provide free van rides to those living in 14214/124215 that are in need of transportation assistance to our center.

Each month, we offer a range of engaging recreational and educational guest speaker workshops, including visits from local artists, health professionals, community leaders and even therapy dogs! We survey the seniors for their interests and needs and find compatible community partners to share their expertise with our group. We value strong community ties, and want our seniors to engage with the community. So, we have launched a new field trip program called “Gloria on the Go” which is an opportunity for seniors to immerse themselves in the community, visit local museums, stay up-to-date with current events, and take in Buffalo’s rich culture. We even play bingo at some of these sites, and welcome bingo playing with other community centers as well. Previous day-trips have included Seneca Niagara Casino, Beaver Island, the Miss Buffalo boat ride and luncheon, and the Corning Museum of Glass.

Additional features of our program include computer classes, Monday swing dancing classes, a Wednesday afternoon card playing tournament and wii bowling, monthly blood pressure screenings and Silver Birthday Celebrations, and seasonal dance parties called “Dancin’ at the Parks”, with a catered dinner, a live band or DJ, with raffles and giveaways!

We welcome your suggestions on improving the program and including activities you wish to experience! Please stop in to the center to learn more about our programming and becoming a member, or give us a call and we’ll have information mailed directly to you. Our annual membership process is easy and free for those over the age of 55. We look forward to seeing you at our center soon!

Assisted Living for Veterans: Benefits You Didn’t Know Existed

Veterans give their all in the service, yet may find it challenging to resume their civilian lives, especially if they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Reintegrating into the community can be a long, hard road.

And even later in life, veterans face an additional hurdle if they need to move into an assisted living facility (ALF): the high cost of care.

Fortunately for veterans and their surviving spouses, there are benefits available to help alleviate the financial burden that comes with long-term care in an assisted living facility.

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