Eighth District Councilmember Al Austin and the Senior Advisory Commitee (SAC) will present the kick-off for a senior program that will include social and physical activities on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 10am to noon at the Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Ave.
The kick-off will serve as an introduction to a new program that will be every Tuesday and Thursday starting Oct. 20. The programming will include senior-focused activities, such as yoga, music and games.
The program will be free, and it is for those ages 55 and up, although Barbara Shoag, chair of the SAC, mentioned that no one will be checking for identification.
She went on to say that this event should encourage seniors to get out of the house and meet people and be active.
“We are really enthused and busily preparing for the kick-off and beyond,” Shoag said. “We just want people to come and have fun.”
The tentative schedule beginning Oct. 20 will be:
• 10am to 11am: exercise class (yoga, tai chi, dance, etc.)
• 11am to noon: guest speaker (Tuesdays) and knitting/arts and crafts (Thursdays)
• Noon to 1pm.: lunch
• 1pm to 2pm: music and games (bingo, card games, etc.)
Shoag emphasized the event is free. She said that the activities are all based off of a survey that was distributed among seniors in the 8th District in order to gauge their interests.
Austin told the Signal Tribune that this new recreational place for seniors serves as an opportunity to build a stronger community. He said that he recognized there was a void in senior activities and programming, and he now hopes to achieve a grassroots type of atmosphere in the 8th District.
“It is important that we reach and engage all sectors of our community,” Austin said. “Seniors make up a large segment of the population. Everyone needs to feel like an important stakeholder in the community.”
The program is an organic effort that is made up of volunteers and community supporters. Shoag said that the event is starting small and that it took a while for the SAC to get a sense of direction as to where to start.
After a while, the members decided to “just do something.”
“We had to figure out what we wanted to do and how to do it,” Shoag said. “We’re just figuring it out as we go. I’ve been involved in so many committees and so many different activities in Long Beach. This is a wonderful committee— the best committee I’ve ever served on. We’re all just so enthusiastic.”
The senior program is something that is expected to take on a life of its own.
“Long-term, I would like to see intergenerational programming with seniors and young people, not only at the Expo, but throughout Long Beach,” Austin said. “Our seniors are tremendous resources in our community, and they have a lot to offer. If we can bring seniors and the youth together, our young people stand to learn a lot from them.”
But as Shoag said, it has to start somewhere.
“You don’t have to know anybody to come,” she said. “We’re going to try to make everyone feel welcome and at home and want to come back.”
