SILER CITY — After shutting down in-person meals nearly 16 months ago, the Chatham County Council on Aging reopened to congregate meals at its Western Chatham Senior Center (WCSC) in Siler City last week.
Given the high effectiveness of the vaccines, the Council allowed fully-vaccinated participants to return to in-person meals.
“Because the senior population is most at risk of the negative effects of COVID-19, we wanted to remain cautious as we reopened but felt we could safely do so now,” said COA Director Dennis Streets.
Last Wednesday, the long-empty tables were filled with people in brightly colored, flowered clothes. They had dressed to match the Hawaiian theme. Staff members wore decorative grass-skirts and handed out leis.
There was a summery, festive atmosphere as friends gathered for photos together, happy smiles across each face. People sipped bright lime-green drinks and some line-danced as they waited for lunch to be served. Joining in the festivities was David Kennedy who announced his retirement as Chatham County’s Veterans Service Officer.
The program kicked off with a pre-recorded welcome back message from Chatham County Health Director Mike Zelek. He expressed deep gratitude to the participants for “getting their shot” and shared that the COA could only reopen to in-facility programming because they had done so. He also asked them to be ambassadors to encourage friends and family to get vaccinated for their own safety and to protect others.
Some participants had not engaged in the virtual program offerings of the Council on Aging. Returning to in-person meals and programming was particularly important.
“I’m so glad to be back,” said participant Cathy Glover.
Another participant, Josephine Cotton, just celebrated her 83rd birthday and also expressed how happy she was to be coming to the WCSC.
Despite the joy at seeing one another again, there was a sense of what had been lost during the pandemic and COA’s closure to in-person programs. Joyce Stout shared photo albums she has been maintaining since 2015. One album has photos of the WCSC participants and another, with the words “Gone but not forgotten” on the front, memorializes those who have passed over the years.
“One person died with the virus,” she said, “and others passed away while we were closed. We were lucky it wasn’t more.”
Staff members were also eager to get back to serving meals at the Western Center.
Carol Hammer, 79, passed out meals, served cupcakes and cleaned up afterwards, disinfecting each table. “I’m so happy to see everyone back here,” she said. Carol has worked for the Council on Aging for more than 16 years and is planning to fully retire at the end of the month. “I was supposed to leave the middle of July, but Dennis asked me to stay on a little longer through the reopening.”
She said she’s been working since she was 12 and “is looking forward to spending more time with my grandkids, reading and going to the beach.” Carol’s husband, Garrett, delivers meals with the Council’s Meals on Wheels program.
“I’ll help him do that, I’m sure,” she shared, planning to stay connected to the Council on Aging.
“We are monitoring the news and staying in close contact with the Chatham County Health Department to inform any decisions we make with regards to the virus variants now circulating,” Streets said. “But for now we feel we are taking actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while supporting the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of our participants.”
The reopening was a success and people fell smoothly back into their old routines. Participants came last week for a reopening orientation. They were registered into the new My Senior Center software system the COA installed over the pandemic and got back into the rhythm of taking Chatham Transit.
“I was really impressed with how well run it all was,” said Irma Beal, who expressed gratitude that people could come back face-to-face and, when asked about the vaccine, said: “I got mine. I wish more people would take it.”
Because of planned construction at the Eastern Chatham Senior Center in Pittsboro, only the Western Center is opening to meals and activities. People who are fully vaccinated will be attending two days per week with hopes to increase to daily service soon.
In addition to its congregate meals program, the Council on Aging is beginning to resume other programs and expand its services. Jackie Green and Olivia Hayden are leading aquatic exercise classes for people with arthritis.
Shirley Brooks attended the class before coming to the Senior Center for lunch. “It feels so good and it is easy on my joints,” she said. “I’ve been doing some of the virtual things like bingo while they were closed, but I’m glad to be back in person again.”
Board member Rev. Neriah Edwards-Boone came to see the reopening.
“It’s good to be back in this place and see people here,” she shared. “I would have been here earlier but I was at the Council’s virtual yoga class.”
The Council’s Meals on Wheels program, which had been providing frozen and shelf-stable meals weekly, returned to daily hot-meal delivery on July 12th. COA Board President Larry Ross will be one of the many volunteers it takes to make this program happen. While at the reopening of the Western Center, he said “I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.”
The Council still seeks a few more volunteers to help deliver meals in some of the more rural areas of Chatham. Interested volunteers can contact Allison Andrews at 919-542-4512 or via email at allison.andrews@chathamcouncilonaging.org.
For more information about the Council on Aging, visit www.chathamcoa.org or call 919-542-4512 or 919-742-3975.