Senior Center Best Practices

Managers, Directors and Center Personnel

Senior Center Best Practices

Category
Intergenerational

Senior Center/Nutrition Program/Organization Name
Burgettstown Senior Center

Address
200 Senior Way, Burgettstown, Pa. 15021

Phone Number
724-947-9524

E-Mail
springej@co.washington.pa.us

Contact Person
Jan Springer

Event Name
Memoirs

Description/Overview
There were at least ten seniors involved in the writing of their life stories. One of the teachers from a sixth grade class at an elementary school in Burgettstown had about eight students meet with the seniors each month to help write down their memories and put them into story form. The kids got to learn a lot about the seniors & the seniors got to interact with the kids. It was a great experience. Once the stories were finished they were given to the County to be typed & put into book format. Each senior is permitted to have copies for anyone in their families.

Time and Manpower
Spent an hour or two each month for about six months

Marketing
Advertised at the senior center & then contact was made with the school to see if they could assist the seniors.

Audience Served
Seniors were served but I think the kids had fun learning about how these seniors grew up & their stories from years ago.

Partnerships Utilized
Partnerships with the school, the seniors, the kids, and staff from Aging Services to help keep them moving along with their stories.

Budget/Costs
Staff time typing the stories, the time scanning in the pictures to go in their stories, and then making them into book form.

Impact On Center
I think it was a great experience for the seniors & the kids, but I think the seniors were thrilled to pass their books down to their children & other family members. Many of the stories were very interesting.

Good Tips/Other
We had a format of questions to follow when writing their stories.