Cookeville Senior Center Celebrates Older American Month With New Programs

May is Older American Month and Cookeville Senior Center has added programs to get seniors active.

Executive Director Maxine Frasier said the most difficult issue facing seniors now is getting them to return to social activities after COVID. Frasier said the center’s new hot home-cooked
lunch program is part of that draw.

“Sitting down together with your friends and having home cooked food,” Frasier said. “So we’ve done that for three weeks now on Monday. And when we started, we had 10 sign up, and then the next week we had 15, and now this coming Monday we have 21 signed up.”

Frasier said nutrition is a key issue with seniors. She said food prices are a challenge and the only food program right now has frozen meals.

Frasier said the center plans to expand the hot meal lunches to other days of the week as they build up resources. She said a meal can turn into a day spent at the center in art and movement programs.

“We just started line-dancing,” Frasier said. “We have a large sign-up for that both beginning and intermediate. And that is wonderful exercise. Dancing is very good for you.”

Frasier said they also have a new create your own greeting cards class with all the supplies and a teacher twice a week.

“This gives our artsy and creative people something new to do.”