Senior centers
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Senior Center, 210 Woodbine, and CHI St. Vincent McAuley Senior Community Center, 5010 Highway 7 north, are operated by CHI St. Vincent Hospital Hot Springs and primarily funded through the Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas.
The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Membership is free for people ages 60 and older, and visitors are welcome.
Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at both facilities. No reservation is required. A suggested donation of $3 is requested at each center to help cover the member’s share of the meal cost. All donations are accepted. People younger than 60 must pay $6 for each meal.
Each center offers a library, pool tables, PingPong, games area, weekly exercise and wellness programs, socialization, recreation, health screenings and educational presentations. There is a SeniorNet computer training site at the Hot Springs location. There are intergenerational activities with children from area schools, local Head Start programs and the North Garland County Boys & Girls Club.
Oaklawn Center on Aging, administered by the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, is a community partner located within the Hot Springs Senior Center. It provides center members and the community with health information resources and education programs including weekly tai chi, Zumba Gold and Healthy Aging presentations. Email kapackard@uams.edu or call 623-0020 for more information.
Unique to the communities they serve and reflecting the interests of their membership, each center schedules special activities. Hot Springs Senior Center boasts an Art Gallery Wall, creative arts classes, tai chi, Strong Men and Strong Women strength training classes, Zumba Gold, dulcimer lessons, Nell’s Resale Shop, bean bag baseball, line dancing, AARP Chapter 3 monthly meetings and a monthly educational series — Health Chat.
McAuley activities include line dancing, tutoring for area youths, intergenerational O.W.L. program, Strong Men and Strong Women strength training classes, tai chi, Zumba Gold, everyday exercise, rubber stamping, rug hooking and crochet, thrift shop, painting and craft classes, AARP Driver Safety classes, AARP tax aid during tax season, continuing education classes through National Park Community College and Senior Olympics award winning Ping-Pong and billiards.
This week’s special events at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Senior Center include the following:
• Tuesday — 11 a. m., Advisory Committee Meeting • Thursday — 1 p.m., Zumba Gold • Friday — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Chili Cook-Off : samples $1, bowl $3, fundraiser for Meals on Wheels and Senior Center
For information on times, activities and events, call CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Senior Center at 624-0838 or email judy.rowe@mercy. net. For CHI St. Vincent McAuley Senior Community Center, call 984-5594 or email amanda. maness@mercy.net.