Ash Grove, Republic senior centers back in action

The Gerry Pool Senior Friendship Center and the Ash Grove Sunshine Center, which were forced to close their doors during the pandemic, are open again. Both facilities provide services such as to-go meals, activities and more. Both facilities will also begin offering dine-in meals on Monday, July 5, at the direction of Senior Age.
Ash Grove
Pat Cook, at the Sunshine Center, said the center opened for “exercises, games and classes” last month. She said very little has changed there during the pandemic, though there are some precautions still being taken to protect workers and seniors against COVID-19.
“The government has COVID forms to sign when you come back,” she said, “and for a while, we will be serving on throw-away trays. This is to protect the kitchen staff from handling meal dinnerware.”
The lockdown, however, did provide the staff with the opportunity to make some upgrades to the Sunshine Center.
“We have been able to redecorate while closed,” she said. “The inside has fresh paint and new wood vinyl flooring.”
Republic
Chester Pearman, vice-president of the Gerry Pool Senior Friendship Center, said there is plenty of activities for seniors to enjoy there.
“Right now, we have the pool hall, and they have the crafts, and ...they exercise (on) Mondays and Thursdays,” he said. “Then they play cards and just sit around and visit. (There are) a lot of activities going on, a lot of people coming and going. You know, it’s a nice, cool place for people to come and visit and just see what’s going on.”
Likewise, Pearman said, the staff at the senior center would like to see more seniors come and enjoy the services that they have there.
“We just want the people to come back,” he said. “(We) want them back here as soon as they can."
Pearman added that one of the greatest needs at the senior center is for volunteers. People are needed to run for the board of directors, and they also need people who can come in and spend some time with the seniors.
“If somebody could come in one day a week, a few days a month, anything,” he said. “And it’s not hard work (like) sweeping the floors or scrubbing; it’s being there, just helping people. That’s what we need.”