Member Spotlight- McPherson Senior Center
“There’s a lot going on here,” Sally Scott, Director of the McPherson Senior Center, said when sharing about the facility and its activities at Chamber Connections. The McPherson Senior Center has opened their Silver Spoon Café which provides a tasty hot meal Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Or if you just want a salad, that is available as well. The Silver Spoon Café is open to the public and all ages are invited. The cost is a suggested donation of $7. You can dine in or carry out! Sally said, “We try to keep it like you’re eating at Mom’s house! That’s basically our plan anyway!”
Another thing that the McPherson Senior Center handles is public transportation. The bus will pick you up at your door and take you anywhere you need to go in town. The charge is $1 per way. The TLC Bus is available 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Reservations are suggested by calling 620-241-1848. They have just ordered a new bus and will also have a minivan.
One of the activities at the McPherson Senior Center is Bingo. Folks can enjoy playing Bingo every Tuesday and Friday at 1 p.m. The Senior Center makes transportation available to those living in nursing homes so they can participate. Sally said Bingo usually brings in a crowd of around 20-40 folks! It is always a popular event at the Center. Donations for Bingo prizes are appreciated at the McPherson Senior Center – things like “white elephant” prizes, old ceramics, food items (like cake mixes, frosting, cereal, canned goods or shampoos, soaps, etc.) or $5 Walmart gift cards.
Another activity you can participate in at the McPherson Senior Center is aerobics. Classes are available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $5 per month. And don’t miss out on Thursdays, which is always a special day. Do you know why? Because it’s Free Root Beer Float Day! That goes from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.! Cornhole matches have not only made a comeback at the Senior Center but also draw a pretty good crowd. They even have a Cornhole trophy! Of course, pool games are always in demand. The pool tables are in use in the afternoons. Sally said they have a 100-year gentleman who is a regular pool player at the Center, coming in three or four times a week, AND he is even a part of the pool league!
The McPherson Senior Center makes available the use of the building for small groups of bridge players, for book clubs, and for Bunko groups. A group can use one of the rooms away from the noise of other activities that may be going on and the Senior Center is happy to accommodate them. “That’s what we want,” Sally said, “We want you to come in and be happy.”
The Senior Center is a great place to share information for groups. If you offer a service within the community and would like to give a presentation at the Senior Center contact Sally Scott or Richard Johnson at 620-241-1848 and they can set you up with a time to share your information with the group.
McPherson is very blessed to have the McPherson Senior Center. It is a very active, vibrant group of people making a difference in the lives of our community’s residents. “You can see what we do on paper, but it’s more than what we do on paper,” Board Member Richard Johnson said. “We build relationships here. We build friendships here.” The impact they make on McPherson is amazing. Last month Sally said they had 1808 people come through their doors. For some of the folks, coming to the Senior Center is the only time they get out of the house. It is a fantastic outreach for McPherson seniors and brings such joy to those who are a part of it. Chamber Executive Director Debbie Hawkinson summed it up best regarding its outreach when she said, “I like the fact that you’re encouraging the entire community.”
The McPherson Senior Center is located at 112 E. Euclid. Their doors are open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. To learn more information about the Senior Center and the services they provide, check out their website OR visit their Facebook page (which was described as “awesome!” at Chamber Connections by someone in the crowd!). That will help keep you updated on all the activities they have going on. You’ll also find the Silver Spoon Café menu on their Facebook page, so skim through the month’s menus and see which meal “calls to you,” then go check them out! And don’t miss these photos from Chamber Connections hosted by the McPherson Senior Center.