Humming Along

Lititz Senior Center Stays Active

Serving a population that is vulnerable to COVID-19 did not make the past 18 months easy for Lucy Weaver, manager of the Lititz Senior Center, 201 E. Market St., Lititz. During the shutdown and for a time afterward, Weaver did "pandemic calls." "We called the seniors to check on them," she said, adding that three-way calls enhanced the program. She also did food and craft distributions and sent out gift cards at Christmas.

During 2020, the center was open on a limited basis - a time that Weaver referred to as difficult because it was hard to choose who needed and best qualified for the socialization. As of May 2021, the center is open again on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, with a host of activities for those who are 60 and over who choose to attend.

"Normally, we have 35 (in attendance) on a Monday," noted Weaver, who said that Monday activities usually focus on something educational such as nutrition or arts and crafts.

On Wednesdays, the number of attendees increases because bingo is often played, although the first Wednesday of each month is reserved for trivia.

"Thursday is music and dancing day, and we might get 60," said Weaver, who stated that some younger seniors come just to dance and leave when the band stops playing. Weaver noted that a different band plays each Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. "They just jam for an hour," she said, pointing out that needing walkers and canes often does not stop seniors from getting out on the floor to dance. "It's pretty cool," she noted.

According to Weaver, the Lititz Senior Center has been a fixture in the town for more than 40 years. It is housed in the Lititz United Methodist Church, and although there is no affiliation between the church and the center, Weaver noted they do collaborate on projects and events. Weaver, who has been manager for nine years, said that the center is a program of the Ephrata Area Rehabilitation Services organization. All services are free, but donation jars are available to help defray costs for bands and supplies.

The center offers exercise classes each day it is open. Weaver was first introduced to the center when she taught exercise classes there. The manager at that time asked Weaver to be an assistant. "The seniors knew me from doing chair aerobics with them," explained Weaver, who was soon promoted to manager.

Other classes that are offered on a limited basis may include watercolor painting. Seasonal activities, such as celebrations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Mardi Gras are also held, and Weaver said that picnics with submarine sandwiches are held during good weather. Over the summer, she brought her two daughters in to help paint the nails of a dozen ladies.

More information about the center may be found by searching for "Lititz Senior Center" on Facebook or emailing lititzseniorcenter@dejazzd.com.