In-Person Senior Day Was A Hit for Older Adults!
(Shared from www.agewellatl.org)
Senior Day at the MJCCA, one of AgeWell Atlanta’s most popular and beloved events, finally came back in person last month! On Monday, September 12 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, attendees enjoyed three activities of their choice from AgeWell Atlanta partners, such as fitness classes, art classes, discussions with a Rabbi, and more.
Over the years, Senior Day connected the older adult community in Atlanta, encouraging attendees to try new things, make new friends, and connect on a deeper level with Judaism. According to survey results from the last in-person Senior Day in February 2020, which gathered more than 100 community members:
- 94% of responders said Senior Day made them feel more socially connected
- 96% of responders said Senior Day instilled positive feelings towards the Jewish Community
- 100% of responders said that Senior Day made them feel good about being part of the Jewish community
“We were absolutely thrilled to welcome people back to the MJCCA for the first in-person Senior Day since 2020,” Lizabeth Conners, Active Mature Adults Coordinator, said. “We . It’s so exciting to have so many people coming back!”
Since the pandemic began, AgeWell Atlanta partners have organized many virtual events to keep seniors connected and fight against social isolation. They’ve also pivoted existing programs people already knew and loved to fit in a more virtual world. At JF&CS, for example, the One Good Deed friendly visitor program began socially distanced activities and phone calls with its matches, and Cafe Europa from the Holocaust Survivor Services met virtually and had lunches delivered to its members. While many events and programs are back to limited in-person participation, some still remain virtual.
“Senior Day is an opportunity for people who normally only interact virtually to finally meet in person,” Ashley said. “All people in these different neighborhoods who do things together virtually, and who have built a bond with each other, can build an even stronger bond by meeting in person,” said Ashley Maloy, AgeWell Atlanta Neighborhoods Manager.
"There was a small group of bingo players across different AgeWell Atlanta neighborhoods who have been playing together virtually for two years. They have never met in person. During their last session together, they all asked each other: “Are you going to Senior Day? I hope you are going to Senior Day so we can finally meet in person!”
AgeWell Atlanta Manager, Jennifer Curry, added that AgeWell Atlanta strives to make Senior Day accessible to everybody who wants to attend, with distance not being a barrier to connecting with others. Free transportation for Senior Day 2022 was provided from pickup spots in different AgeWell Atlanta neighborhoods.
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