Senior Center Provides Friendship and Fellowship

Originally built in 1988 for Dave Longaberger’s mother, the Bonnie Longaberger Senior Center continues to make an impact in the lives of seniors in 2018, 30 years later. 

Seniors aged 60 and above gather Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the afternoon at the Bonnie Longaberger Senior Center which is now a satellite of the Muskingum County Senior Center.  There are a variety of scheduled activities planned throughout the week including grocery bingo, line dancing and card games – Canasta, Hausey & Euchre.  

Lunch is served to seniors every weekday at 11:30 a.m. for a small suggested donation of $2.50. Visitors under the age of 60 are also welcome but are required to pay $5.50 for lunch.  The center does ask that reservations are called in prior to 9 a.m. the day you are planning to come for lunch. 

The seniors commented that they like the activities, and the food is good, but the friendships and fellowship are what really matters to them.  Many of the seniors were excited about the upcoming July birthday celebration that was taking place that Thursday.  Birthdays are celebrated each month on the third Thursday with cake and ice cream. 

Seniors come and go as they would like. Some stay for the meal and others enjoy just the activities.  There is no membership or fee and all seniors are welcome.  The invitation extends further than just the Tri-Valley area.  Some who come regularly are from other nearby towns and cities.

The Bonnie Longaberger Senior Center is a wonderful facility and a true asset for the community. If you are 60 or over and are interested in some quality fellowship with other seniors stop by and join in on a game, learn a few new moves while line dancing, or enjoy a delicious meal among friends.

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Some additional notes from the writer’s perspective. I was honored to spend a bit of time at the senior center in preparation for this article and I must say that I really enjoyed my time there.  The atmosphere is welcoming and warm.  A joke, the pledge of allegiance, and a prayer were said prior to lunch. I chatted with several of the seniors while they ate their meal of spaghetti, baby carrots, three bean salad, cherry crisp and garlic bread.  A couple of the men, who all sat together at one of the tables, joked with one another and compared their food and the number of carrots they got with their lunch…they were a hoot.  After spending a bit of time at each table I observed a few rounds of grocery bingo.  I had heard of bingo of course, but not the grocery version.  I just thought the table loaded with goodies was a collection for a food pantry but I had to chuckle to myself when I realized that they were the prizes for winning each round. 

Maybe I enjoyed my time so much because I miss my grandmother who would have been around some of the older senior’s ages, three of which were over 90.  I think it was because above all, the Bonnie Longaberger Senior Center was built out of love and that love is still very much present even today.