Meals on Wheels is known for its homebound meal deliveries, but also has five senior centers located around Rockland County.
The Senior Centers offer a "home away from home" for hundred of participants who enjoy the camaraderie of their peers, stimulating activities and a lunch.
Meals on Wheels Programs had a grand re-opening of the Ramapo Senior Center on May 14 earlier this year; the center is located at the Town of Ramapo Civic Center; 64 Dr. Berg Lane in Spring Valley. However, they’re relocating Jan. 1 with an official opening day on Jan. 2.
“We have outgrown the size of our Ramapo Senior Center. We are relocating to the new center because we needed more space than our existing center in Spring Valley has,” said Stan Schwarz, a Meals on Wheels board member. “We’re bringing the seniors from Ramapo (Senior Center) to see it today (Wednesday) for the first time.”
The new center will be located in Murchison Hall at the New Hempstead Presbyterian Church which is located at 484 New Hempstead Road in New City. (Corner of New Hempstead Road and Old School House Road)
“We invite any seniors interested in attending the new center to contact Pat Osborne at 845 624-6325 for information,” sais Schwarz.
Any Rockland County resident 60 years of age or accompanied by a spouse 60 or older is eligible to participate. Door-to-door transportation is provided. A suggested donation for lunch and transportation is requested, but not mandatory.
The centers offer:
- Fun activities such as exercise, book discussion groups, needle arts, Tai Chi, poetry writing, cards, shopping trips, trips to dinner theatres, restaurants, and, of course, Bingo.
- Special events in which all five Senior Centers participate include an Office for the Aging sponsored Senior Awareness Day, and an annual Medication Management and Walkathon. Other programs can include picnics, Wii tournaments and special holiday events.
- An "Alert & Alive" program, sponsored by the Office for the Aging, is offered to members once a year. The sessions run for nine weeks and feature speakers who discuss topics related to health and social issues such as Stress Relief, Eating Healthy, Creative Writing, Keeping Your Mind Active.
- A hot lunch prepared by our Commissary is served daily.
The Senior Center program is partially funded under the Older Americans Act with local matching funds provided by the County, various towns and villages and participant donations.
