By Rose Chavez
| REVIEW Columnist
Through the month of February and throughout 2023, the Pagosa Senior Center is working to bring in donations to support services for seniors.
The campaign, “A Sweetheart Deal, Buy a Senior a Meal and More” makes it possible for community members to directly support and donate hot nutritious meals and more for local seniors in Archuleta County.
In addition to a nutrition center, the Senior Center serves as a community hub where food and other resources/supports are available to help seniors stay independent, active, engaged in our community and living in their homes.
Archuleta Seniors Inc. (ASI) delivers the following to support senior wellness, health and quality of life:
Meals and supplemental nutrition:
• 25,000 fresh and nutritious meals (salad, entrée, dessert, beverage) are provided annually, available five days per week via drive-thru carryout, delivery (Meals on Wheels) and onsite dining.
• 15 percent of all meals are provided to caregivers who also are age 60 or better.
• Menu planning and a commitment to high nutrition ensure that those with special dietary requirements — including cultural preferences and religious requirements — generally are accommodated (heritage foods are regularly integrated and vegetarian foods are readily available, etc.).
• A mobile food pantry service, tailored to the needs of homebound seniors, provides for those living in outlying areas of the region served.
Social connection activities -— educational, other resources and referrals:
• Afternoon on-site and off-site social, service and future field trip activities, including games, discussion groups on sports or movies, yoga and stretching, etc. are provided, benefiting an average of 15 individuals per activity via an average of 2.5 activities per month.
• Educational workshops and presentations — e.g., healthy habits, VITA tax support, financial literacy, fall prevention — benefit an average 15 individuals per activity via in-person and remote educational offerings/month.
• Informed and comprehensive referrals to other community organizations provide for assistance through a variety of services, materials/resources and other supports.
Isolation prevention and caregiver supports:
• Residents of congregate housing for individuals of low-income utilize walkable access to and delivery service of meals.
• An average 20 local individuals benefit each month from on-demand transportation to and from the Senior Center for meals, and social and educational programming.
• Typically, 35-40 individuals are visited daily (five days per week) by Meals on Wheels, which includes an at-home wellness check.
• Electronic monitoring devices (hardware, subscription service) for 24/7 assurance are provided for 15 individuals annually.
• Caregivers have access to informational/educational materials specific to their needs (e.g. meals, future counseling services).
All meals have a suggested donation of $10, with social events and educational offerings provided at no/low cost. For more information about our services, please contact us at (970) 264-2167.
Seasonal free art class
The next free art class at the Senior Center will be Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 1:15 p.m.
No reservations are required, but space is limited, so be sure to be there by 1:15 p.m. We will be making a piece of art that reflects all the symbols and colors we love about St. Patrick’s Day. No art skill is required for this class, just a desire to have fun and make something creative. All materials will be provided, including the scissors, paper, glue and watercolors.
Yes, we are going to learn just a few basics about watercolors and why they are such special paints. Templates will be provided to trace and cut out the symbols of St. Patrick’s Day, or you can draw your own. All ages are invited, so find a friend and bring them along.
Our teacher will be Denise Fisk, who is a retired elementary art teacher from Iowa. She loves sharing art techniques with her classes.
So, come to the Senior Center with a friend and see your success in creating your own work of art.
New group: senior
conversations
Join us Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m. for a first in a series of senior conversations with local Bill Salmansohn. He will lead the group through a mindfulness exercise and discussion of various topics pertaining to aging in Archuleta County. Explore and discover for yourself answers to your questions and concerns.
Volunteer coordinator sought for Growing Dome program
The Senior Center is looking for volunteers to assist with our new growing dome program. These individual(s) will be responsible for helping to coordinate volunteer opportunities at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership Community Garden Dome on a twice-monthly basis. The program is new and will partner with other growing dome participants for group activities and opportunities.
For more information and to pick up an application, please visit us at 451 Hot Springs Blvd.
COVID-19 test
kits available
Stop by the Senior Center to pick up a pack of six free COVID-19 tests kits for your personal use. These kits are available to anyone in the public that needs affordable access for health promotion and disease prevention.
Text reservations
Text us at (970) 264-2167. Don’t forget that we also offer a convenient texting service for you to communicate with us. When texting, please include your name, phone number and the days you want a meal. If you are calling to cancel a reservation, please include your name, phone number and the days you want to cancel.
Texting services are available for dining-in meal reservations, Grab-n-Go meals and Meals on Wheels recipients.
Mobile food pantry service available for seniors
The Senior Center would like to remind the community about our mobile food pantry services we provide in partnership with Archuleta County MET to seniors age 60 and older throughout most areas of Archuleta County.
In order to participate in this program, community members must visit with Barbara Noriega at the Senior Center, located in the Ross Aragon Community Center, to fill out an application to qualify for the mobile pantry service.
The application, called the dining assessment form, is also available on our website at the bottom of the Community Cafe page: http://www.psseniors.org/community-cafeacute.html. For more information, contact us at (970) 264-2167.
Mahjong
Mahjong is a 19th century Chinese tile-based game that is commonly played with four players. Each player receives 13 tiles with a goal to make matching sets and pairs (like poker). To win, a player must form four sets and one pair. Come to the Senior Center to learn or play every Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.
Medicare call by
appointment
For anyone who needs help enrolling and navigating Medicare plans, we help with parts A, B and D. We can also help you with fraud concerns and troubleshooting any billing issues you may be having. By appointment only. Please call our Medicare line at (970) 264-0501, ext 4.
Bridge
The longest-played bridge game in Archuleta County takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. We have eliminated Monday bridge due to lack of consistent participation and will be replacing it with different programming.
Bridge is a four-player card game with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. It is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. Come alone or bring a partner.
Engaging pictures
Engaging pictures are needed from seniors and their families who live, work and play their best lives in Archuleta County. We are looking for pictures that convey people’s active lifestyles, families, culture and more. We would like to use these pictures in our grant applications, on social media and our website. Please email all pictures to rosa@psseniors.org or feel free to drop them off.
Community Cafe menu
Thursday, Feb. 16 — Beef cottage pie with roasted cauliflower, garden salad, fruit, bread pudding and milk.
Friday, Feb. 17 — Vegetarian tempeh chili with cornbread and honey, garden salad, fruit and milk.
Monday, Feb. 20 — Closed for Presidents Day.
Tuesday Feb. 21 — Barbecue chicken, sweet corn, baked beans, garden salad, fruit, milk and chocolate cake.
Wednesday, Feb. 22 — Meatballs and marinara with hoagie roll, green beans with bacon, garden salad, fruit, milk and chocolate macadamia nut cookie.
Thursday, Feb. 23 — Singapore coffee barbecue pork ribs with rice, sauteed squash, garden salad, fruit and milk.
Friday, Feb. 24 — Chicken Dijon with glazed carrots and dinner roll, garden salad, fruit, milk and banana pudding.
Grab-N-Go meals
Grab-N-Go meal reservations and cancellations are required. Please call or text by 9 a.m. the morning of the day you want to pick up a meal. A suggested donation of $10 helps to sustain our program. No one will be turned away for their inability to donate. For ages 59 and younger, the cost is $10.50. Please call or text us at (970) 264-2167 to make a reservation.
Meals on Wheels
We deliver fresh Meals on Wheels five days a week (and provide frozen Meals on Wheels for weekends) to homebound Archuleta County residents. Call or text us at (970) 264-2167.
Requesting donations
ASI has an immediate monetary need to support ongoing operations and programming that provide critical services to some of the most vulnerable in Archuleta County. Please consider donating.
You may mail your donation to P.O. Box 3444, Pagosa Springs CO 81147 or please visit our website: http://www.psseniors.org/. Donation checks can be written to: Archuleta Seniors Inc. We are located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd.
For more information about ASI, please visit http://www.psseniors.org/.
