Senior Center to Celebrate 15 Years of Support, Recreation, and More in 2008

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Pleasanton is a great place to work and raise a family. It's also a great community in which to grow old. The Pleasanton Senior Center, at 5353 Sunol Boulevard, is one of the reasons. The 22,500 square foot facility, which will observe its 15th anniversary in March, delivers a multitude of services designed to help seniors age gracefully. Its dual-pronged mission statement promises both recreation and assistance, encouraging mature adults to maintain healthy and independent lives.

A portion of the building is dedicated to the Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley, a non-profit that addresses the social services environment. The agency is an invaluable resource for both seniors and caregivers. For example, its staff might field a call from an adult child whose mother has just moved into an assisted living facility and needs a liaison to county programs and services. Or perhaps the older parent just had surgery and needs referrals to in-home support, which are also provided.

Yet the center offers a lot more than help navigating through the bureaucracy. "People today are taking a different look at aging and asking more of our society," muses Raymond Figueroa, the center's Recreation Coordinator for the past four years. Figueroa and his colleagues, both at the center and in other municipal offices, have worked hard to come up with a long list of appropriate recreational activities - from "sitter-cize" fitness classes and a mature hikers club to book groups and movie nights - to keep minds and bodies in good shape. The center even includes a functioning wood shop, so residents who've downsized don't have to give up a cherished hobby. "We offer a wide array of programs, classes, and services that meet the needs of all seniors, from boomers to those with a few more health and mobility issues," he summarizes.

For those determined to stay mobile, the city just added a new route to its Paratransit Program, the door-to-door shared ride service for those aged 60 and over. Starting on January 14 a minibus with scheduled stops will connect Pleasanton's seven senior housing complexes to downtown Main Street several times a day. The service runs Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, at a very affordable cost. Call the paratransit office at (925) 931-5376 for the latest scheduling information.

To make sure the year doesn't pass without a nod to the first crop of baby boomer retirees, in September the center will be co-sponsoring the first-ever 580/680 Senior Games. A collaboration among senior services divisions and recreation departments in Livermore, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville, and Pleasanton, the games will comprise five diverse contents, each hosted by a different municipality: tennis, swimming, softball, bowling, and ballroom dancing (the hometown event).

For more information on programs and services, call (925) 931-5365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, or visit www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/services/senior/pleasanton-senior-center.html.

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