Baby Boomers

[Paula]

My 50+ Center is attached to a Community Center.   We are booming with 50+ in our fitness area.  Does anyone have any other successful programs for the 50 & 60's?   

[dawnwhite]

One area that brings in younger seniors at Senior Neighbors is our travel program.  We operate a travel club where seniors in the area pay to become a member.  It is a "senior center without walls" program.  We do about 25 trips a year.  While most of our trips are during the week, we also try to provide some on the weekends to accomodate those age 50+ who are still working. 

[alice]

OUr "boomers" oh I am getting tired of that word come to the Center for fitness and sports but they also come for theater trips and ballroom dancing lessons and make great volunteers.

Alice Andrews

[Rolina Vermeer Roosen]

We've courted the Boomers with fitness & dance classes.....and food! I'd love to hear more about the travel groups and how to keep the work in planning & arrangements  down to a minimum.  Maybe we could hear about travel at the conference this year??  I love the idea of a travel club!

[dpmi]

I also am tired of the word boomers.  I find our boomers are NOT that much different.  Yes they make wonderful volunteers.  They are working longer but a lot of them volunteer anyway.  It all comes down to - they will do what appeals to them.  And obviously what appeals to some will not appeall to others.

The travel club does sound great.  What do they get for their 25.00?

[dawnwhite]

As far as the travel club, we started it in 2003 by organizing our 6 senior centers together.  Prior to that, each center was doing their own trips and we were, essentially, in competition with ourselves.  As a result, we cancelled about 50% of the time.  We did 3 trips in 2003.  We now do 25-30 trips of our own travel club each year plus we arrange travel for other large retirement groups in our community, such as the Steelcase Retirees.  Our cancellation rate now is only about 3%.  We have made enough in sales now to apply for our own IATA travel agency number.  We are now able to purchase cruises direct from the cruise companies without going through a 3rd party which makes pricing much better for our seniors.

When we started, we strictly utilized our senior centers.  Other seniors quickly heard about our trips and wanted to join.  But, they did not regularly attend our centers.  So, there were many who were disappointed about the trips being full before they were able to sign up.  They asked us to send fliers to their homes, but we had no money to do this.  So, we started the trip club membership.  The price is $15/year.  For this, they get 1)  flyers mailed direct to their homes, 2)  information about the trips 2 weeks prior to it going out to the senior centers, 3)  5%-10% discount on each trip and 4)  an invitation to the annual trip club party in November where we announce the next year's lineup.  They also get a promo gift.  This past year we did t-shirts. 

Many of the seniors who travel with us feel that they are too "young" to attend a senior center, but they do not feel that they are too young to join a "club".  This is why I call it a senior center without walls.  Actually, you will often hear me say that, with the travel club, we "Take our Senior Centers on the Road" with games, education, fun and opportunities to get to know each other.  About 90% are widows or widowers who have lost their travel partners and who enjoy the security of traveling with a group.  They are meeting people on these trips and at the annual party.  They are becoming a closely knit group just like inside the walls of our senior centers.   

       

[dpmi]

That sounds so interesting.  WE have trips that different travel agencies promote and we put out the flyers for.  But this ounds really nice.  There are other senior centers in the area.  I am going to give this to our Leisure Enrichment director & see what she says.  Sounds like this might work!  Although we are fairly rural community.  Will let you know.

[molasconp]

We offer bounce volleyball, pickleball, and a walking program.  These draw the "younger" seniors!

[dpmi]

What is pickle ball?

[Paula]

Pickleball is a cross between badminton and tennis. It is played with a wood paddle and a perforated plastic ball.   The net is 34 inches and we play it in our gym on our badminton court.   It's very fun and we have all ages from teens to seniors playing. 

[Kim S]

Our BIGGEST draw for the 50+ group is ZUMBA!!!  We have gone from one small class a week, to 6 classes of 20 - 25 people!!!  What a great, FUN way to bring people in to exercise!!!!

[dpmi]

I have a good friend, 50+ age group who is big time into Zumba!  I should mention that to our LEisure Enrichment Director.

[Patti Wachtel49]

At our center, we have started a Creative Writing class which has attracted the "younger senior".  We started with plays, progressed to poetry, and eventually our goal is to write fiction and memoirs.
We also started a Reader's Theater which will be putting on a production in December.  We have used Artage as a resource.