Senior Center Best Practices

Workshops and
Events Calendar
Updated 12-19-2011

Managers, Directors and Center Personnel

Senior Center Best Practices

Category
Money Making Ideas

Senior Center/Nutrition Program/Organization Name
Charles T. Adams Senior Center

Address
5 East Market Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

Phone Number
570-825-3484

E-Mail
Rkinnard@aging.luzerne-wyoming.org

Contact Person
Rebecca Kinnard

Event Name
Charles T. Adams Senior Center's 2009 Walk-A-Thon

Description/Overview
Charles T. Adams Senior Center's director committed to having an active walking program and to show her support for such a wonderful program, declare that she would walk with the senior participants. She agree to walk 35 times around the square twice a month from May 27, 2009 through September 10, 2009. This bi-monthly event would be a dual project; a exercise program and fund raiser. As a exercise program, most of the seniors who participated with the walk were able to walk at least twelve times around the square bi-monthly which equal six miles. As a fund raiser, the senior participants had family members and friends sponsored their walk or sponsored themselves. One senior who was unable to walk had called local businesses for monetary and in-kind donations.

Time and Manpower
Planning: 1 paid staff. 1 unpaid staff.
Preparing: 1 paid staff. 1 unpaid staff.
Implementing: 1 paid staff. 15 unpaid staff.

Marketing
Flyers were displayed in local businesses and Service Electric Television agreed to display on their Public Service Announcement a week prior of walks.

Audience Served
Audience Served and Target Audience were the same. The senior population at Charles T. Adams Senior Center were the actual participants of the Walk-A-Thon.

Partnerships Utilized
Partnered with over thirteen local businesses who donated cash and in-kind donations that were used at Charles T. Adams Senior Center for future gifts and raffles.

Budget/Costs
Due to the sincere efforts of seniors asking family members, friends, and businesses for donations, the Charles T. Adams Senior Center did not accrue any real cost. Only necessary items needed were flyers that were distributed to seniors to hand out to family, friends, and businesses.

Impact On Center
This initial impact on Charles T. Adams Senior Center was that participants were pro-active and supportive in their efforts in recruiting donations. They were eager to solicit family members, friends, and businesses requesting donations because they knew the value of their being healthy. The long term impact is that walking is one of the ways we can continue to be healthy thus resulting in a healthier state of well-being.

Good Tips/Other
This project can be used as a annual fund raiser. Allow your participants to be actively aware and involved with details of annual Walk-A-Thon, this way they are supportive and feel as though they too are partners.