By Drew Johnson
Every other week, members of Wednesday Winners get together at Vicksburg United Methodist Church to play games, do arts and crafts, have a hearty lunch, and enjoy each other’s company.
Wednesday Winners is a group for adults with disabilities and is generously funded by the Vicksburg Foundation—the space is free and the programming is run by volunteers, so all of the money goes towards food and events. Last month, they went to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and the month before that they had their big annual picnic.
Whenever I go to visit the Wednesday Winners, I have a great time—they are a fun group and there is always something interesting going on. The reality, however, is that in-person groups like this are falling apart all over the country. In-person socialization, which used to be the bedrock of our social networks, is declining in almost every demographic. Adults in 2023 spent 30% less time socializing than they did 20 years ago; teenagers have lost almost half of their face-to-face time. For many, this change may be navigable—after all, much of that time has been replaced by social media, remote work, etc. For some, however, like seniors or people with disabilities who might have trouble using computers, this change is not so easy to manage; that is why groups like Wednesday Winners are so important.
As I have often mentioned in these columns, volunteers get a lot from participating in these programs too. Volunteering is one of the best ways to re-engage with the community and reverse some of the trends in our face-to-face “people time”. This is especially true as people get older—and particularly when they retire. And Wednesday Winners could use some volunteers! The current volunteers are getting older and running the program is becoming more difficult.
There is something different about seeing people face-to-face, even for an introvert like me. I’m no psychologist, but my take is that it activates the brain in a more fulfilling, less aggressively stimulating way than social media and other substitutes. It teaches us that not every meeting has to have an agenda and that not every interaction needs a “like”.
If you ever get a chance, stop by and visit Wednesday Winners—I’m sure you will enjoy yourself! We could all learn a thing or two about visiting just to visit.
Drew Johnson lives in Kalamazoo and is the Director at South County Community Services. He has a small quarter acre homestead with chickens, bees, and hops (and more!), a wonderful wife, and three energetic children. He can be reached at 649-2901 or ajohnson@southcountycs.com
For more information on South County Community Services, please check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/southcountycs or our website, southcountycs.com.
Senior Center programs
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!
