Pagosa Senior Center partners with Archuleta County MET for free rides

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By Rose Chavez | PREVIEW Columnist

Older adults 60 and older are eligible for free transportation provided by Archuleta County’s Mountain Express Transit (MET). Older adults can ride the MET Pagosa Springs route for free Monday through Friday. This route stops at the Pagosa Senior Center and Pagosa Springs Medical Center 10 times per day. 

Disabled community members that live within 3/4 of a mile of this route but are unable to make it to a stop can qualify for free paratransit service. Paratransit service requires community members to book their ride 24 hours in advance. Community members must call the MET at (970) 264-2250 by 3 p.m. the day before Monday through Friday to reserve their ride. 

Additionally, the MET offers discounted dial-a-ride service to eligible seniors for $4 per stop within town limits or $8 outside town limits.

Spanish Fiesta planning session June 2

The Senior Center invites community members of all ages and backgrounds to rekindle the Spanish Fiestas of the past that honor the culture and diversity of the Archuleta and Pagosa Springs community. 

On Friday June 2, at 10 a.m., community members interested in helping revive and honor the heritage of Pagosa Country with an emphasis on Hispanic and Indigenous are asked to meet at the dining hall in the Senior Center, located within the Ross Aragon Community Center. We are a group of folks trying to revive a custom that used to celebrate our local heritage and promote scholarship in our local youth. This includes many of Archuleta County’s founding families. 

The group is planning a headliner concert featuring the music of the godson of New Mexico music, Al Hurricane Jr., and his band, along with local talent Los Mitotitos at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds during the afternoon and evening of July 29. 

During these initial meetings, we will discuss ideas to celebrate Hispanic and Indigenous heritage in conjunction with the musical event planned for this summer. Funds raised during this event will be used to support the intergenerational mission of Archuleta Seniors Inc. (ASI) and a future scholarship fund for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and youth of color) youth of Archuleta County. 

All community members are welcome to attend. For more information, contact rosa@psseniors.org.

Senior Conversations

Join us Wednesdays at 1:15 p.m. for a series of Senior Conversations with local Bill Salmansohn. He will lead the group through mindfulness exercises and discussion of various topics pertaining to aging in Archuleta County. Explore and discover for yourself answers to your questions and concerns. 

The meeting will be held at the Senior Center in the dining hall. Snacks will be provided.

Pagosa Springs
Scrapbooking Club

The Pagosa Springs Scrapbooking Club holds monthly meetings the second Saturday of each month at the Senior Center. 

It meets each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to be creative, share ideas, connect with friends, learn new techniques, share supplies and indulge in a potluck lunch together. 

Bring your scrapbooking projects — or any crafting project that you may want to work on with the group. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive notifications each month of the upcoming meeting along with handy tips and tricks for scrapbooking, please send your request to copenhavercreative@gmail.com.

Share lunch Monday through Thursday

Join us at the Silver Fox’s Den, aka the Community Cafe, in person for daily hot/cold meals Mondays through Thursdays downtown at the Community Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It is open to all. Pickup is available all week, including Fridays. 

Our dining hall is open to all ages and welcomes you all with kindness and warmth. We provide hot/cold meals for anyone in the community interested in a nutritious and delicious meal. For those 60 or older we request a suggested donation of $10, but no one will be turned away. There is a $10 charge for guests under the age of 60. 

Meals include a main course, side dish, fruit/dessert, garden salad plus beverage. Some popular menu items include Frito chili pie, pork tenderloin with harvest chutney, Singaporean pork ribs, vegetarian lasagna, Hawaiian shrimp with coconut rice and always a beautiful green salad. Many of our items are locally sourced and organic. 

Our chef works with a team of local food professionals to hand-prepare your meal for dine-in service in our cozy dining room (with an amazing view of the San Juans) or for takeout (via our convenient drive-through). Our menu changes daily. 

To reserve your meal for the day, please make your reservation via text or phone call to (970) 264-2167 by 9 a.m. weekdays. 

We provide a welcoming gathering space that serves as a community hub where nutritious food and other resources/supports are available to help older adults and their caretakers stay independent, active, engaged in our community and living in their homes. Weekly educational and social activities include our healthy aging and yoga therapy class, Mahjong and more. 

Check out our senior discount card for local discounts and perks at http://www.psseniors.org/discount-club.html.

Community Cafe menu

Thursday, June 1 — Baked cod with broccoli hollandaise, salad, fresh fruit and milk.

Friday, June 2 — Sliced ham with cherry sauce, scalloped potatoes, salad, fruit, dinner roll and milk.

Monday, June 4 — French dip sandwich with au jus on hoagie roll, sweet potato fries, garden salad, fruit, chocolate cake and milk.

Tuesday, June 5 — Butternut squash ravioli casserole, wilted spinach and red onion, garden salad, fruit, banana bread and milk.

Wednesday, June 6 — Green chile chicken, pinto beans, cornbread, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Thursday, June 7 — Cajun shrimp with cheesy grits, zucchini and squash saute, garden salad, fruit, blueberry streusel muffins and milk.

Friday, June 8 — Turkey tetrazzini, green beans, dinner roll, garden salad, fruit and milk. 

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 also. 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.

Mobile food pantry
service discontinued

The Mobile Food Pantry Service has been discontinued due to funding shortages. Older adults needing a ride to a local food pantry should contact the Archuleta County MET to schedule a ride with their paratransit service. For more information, contact Lavonne at (970) 264-2250.

Text reservations

Don’t forget that we offer a convenient texting service for you to communicate with us. Text us at (970) 264-2167. When texting, please include your name, phone number and the days you want a meal. If you are canceling a reservation, please include your name, phone number and the days you want to cancel. 

Texting services are available for dine-in meal reservations, Grab-n-Go meals and Meals on Wheels recipients.

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 who needs affordable access for health promotion and disease prevention.

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.

Bridge 

The longest-played bridge game in Archuleta County takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:15 p.m. 

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. 

Hand and foot card game

Whether you are new to hand and foot or interested in learning, please join us most Thursdays at 1:15 at the Senior Center. 

This card game involves four rounds of playing until the final round is reached — some two to three hours later. Plan to stay and meet some new friends or catch up with those you have missed over the last couple of years. 

No experience is necessary, so come willing to learn. 

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.