By Drew Johnson
So Sherri, what made you decide to come work for South County Community Services as the Senior Center Coordinator?
Well first and foremost, I love working with older adults. Working with seniors was my first job out of undergrad. I see a real need for services for older adults, especially for helping them to expand their circle and make connections. I think that’s the way that we all live the best lives we can.
It’s also really exciting to be at the start of a new program! The people involved with getting the senior center started before me did a lot of work and I’m very grateful to them because it has meant that we have been able to get going on things right out of the gate.
What are you most excited about working on?
A lot of things! Right now, we are working on scheduling lifelong learning classes, which I think will be really fun to add to coffee hours. We’re also talking with the Vicksburg Historical Village and Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center to bring in some local history and senior arts programs.
But the heart of it all is the coffee hours (interviewer’s note: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. See our ad in this month’s South County News for a more detailed schedule). I love the organic nature of those conversations and the relationship building. It’s great for me, being from out of town, to meet people and learn about the area. Two random people coming in and starting talking can lead to so many things—new resources, ideas for projects, casserole recipes…
I am also a teacher at heart. I coach pilates, which I really enjoy because it teaches functional movement that translates into everyday life. I used a lot of pilates ideas in the FUNctional Fitness curriculum that I created for my Thursday afternoon class—that has also been a lot of fun.
In addition to our regular schedule, we will also have these special programs:
Sept. 12: Flower Power Coffee Hour, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Build your own small flower vase with cut flowers.
Oct. 3: Senior Center Informational Coffee Hour, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn more about the new South County Senior Center housed at Vicksburg United Methodist Church.
Oct. 17: History Show and Tell, noon-1 p.m. Bring in your historical artifacts.
Nov. 21: Aging in Place, noon-1 p.m. Learn about home safety. Follow us on Facebook (South County Senior Center) for more updates!
How can the community help our efforts to improve the lives of seniors in our service area?
Spread the word! Volunteer with us! We are at the very beginning of this project and have a lot of momentum, so it’s a great time to get involved. Volunteering is great for mental and physical health. Attend and bring a friend.
I also want to throw out a huge THANK YOU here to the Vicksburg United Methodist Church for all that their congregation has done to support the senior center! Having a physical location to meet and the support of your leadership and trustees has been key to getting things started.
What is something that we should know about you?
I love spending time with my two young adult sons and my husband. I enjoy nature and hiking, baking and watching baking shows, reading mysteries and watching action movies.
For more information on South County Community Services, please check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/southcountycs or visit our website: southcountycs.com.
