Colorado Springs Senior Center
“Not your Grandmother’s Senior Center”
By Mendy Putman and Jody Barker, Colorado Springs Senior Center, Colorado Springs LIVING WELL Magazine
Since its inception in 1982, the Colorado Springs Senior Center has been a dream come true for thousands of older adults in Colorado Springs. It is the place where the stereotype of aging is broken down and adults enjoy programs ranging from educational to just for fun! The mission of the Senior Center is to offer quality of life experiences to those 55 years of age and older, and is a place to connect with people and engage in a community “where everyone knows your name and they are always glad you came!”
The Colorado Springs Senior Center offers classes, trips, education, events and services for you to get involved, stay active, meet new people and have some fun. There are so many different things to choose from we think you might have trouble deciding. The class schedules are available every December, May and August. Over 250 activities, each season, are what you will have to pick from and how exciting is that? The benefits of getting involved are endless.
There are fine arts and crafts, fitness, health and dance, day trips and overnight travels, computer, and lifelong learning classes. Along with entertaining special events each month, you will find dancing to live bands every Thursday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the third Sunday of each month from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. At the center, there are several support groups along with basic health screening services, such as foot care, dental and blood pressure checks and body massage.
Another popular service available to adults age 60 and over is the Golden Circle Nutrition Program that offers lunch Monday-Friday. Thousands of meals are served throughout the year for a suggested donation of only $2 for those ages 60+. This program helps ensure balanced nutrition, along with offering great socialization opportunities. The meals are impressively good and the menu is posted monthly on our website. We encourage you to visit csseniorcenter.com to view all the class schedules or come by and pick them up.
The Colorado Springs Senior Center operates entirely on endowments that were left to the program in the 1980s. Those funds have been slowly depleting over the past few years with the downturn in the market and investment returns. Housing Authority of Colorado Springs accepted the responsibility for the center in 2011 when the city of Colorado Springs could no longer support the operations. Housing Authority did not have a large fund balance waiting to be used for the Center. However, with the current endowments and the revenue raised by the Human Service Complex rentals, the Senior Center has operating money to work with for a few more years. Housing Authority is helping the Center look for ways to become sustainable. It is a goal for a NEW endowment to be established through our non-profit organization, The Friends of the Colorado Springs Senior Center, to prosper and grow toward supporting future operations.
You are also invited to walk through the door and be amazed at what you find! Our staff is proud to say that we “try to please all the people, all of the time.” You will find something that will excite you. Don’t allow yourself to think that we are “just for old people.” We are NOT your grandmother’s senior center! Call us at 387-6000 to register for our next Newcomer’s Orientation.
