A few months into my job at Bexar Area Agency on Aging, I was lucky enough to attend the opening of the District 2 Senior Center in San Antonio. I brought with me one of the Alamo Service Connection call center Care Specialists. Despite having spent many hours answering senior questions and arranging assistance for caregivers of seniors, the Care Specialist had never been able to visit a Senior Center.

As we toured the different halls of the center, her reaction, like mine, was:  "WOW!  I didn't know that that Senior Centers provided that!"

Each and every day, the dedicated staff and volunteers at senior centers around the Alamo Region arrive early and stay late to ensure that older adults have a fun, educational, social, safe and COOL (in the summer!) place to enrich their lives. Thanks to the Older Americans Act, free and nutritious meals are available, as well as more traditional activities such as lotteria and bingo.

But today's senior centers do so much more! Zumba, billiard tournaments,  one-on-one Medicare counseling,  computer training, professional art courses,  classes on managing chronic disease, formal dance galas, and financial planning are just a few of the services available - not to mention the listening ear and senior issue expertise of the paid and volunteer staff.

On 100 degree days outside...when a meal provided means the monthly budget goes a bit further... when an exercise class prevents a fall...when an on-site nurse checks a blood pressure...when friends made at the center reach out and eliminate loneliness and depression...senior centers literally save lives every day.

On behalf of the Area Agencies on Aging for the Alamo Area: THANK YOU to the hard-working personnel and senior centers during National Senior Center month and throughout the year!