Senior Services Department
Director, Freda Terry
(732) 747-5204
80 Shrewsbury Avenue

 

 

Atlantic Highlands Herald Article
Red Bank Regional (RBR) Students
Honor Senior Citizens in Prose, Art and Dance

 

 

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

 

Red Bank Senior Citizens Center
BEST PRACTICES 2006

The Red Bank Senior Center is beautifully located at 80 Shrewsbury Avenue, along the base of the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers. We are a multi-purpose Senior Activity facility. We provides a safe haven, for seniors by responding to the most basic needs. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:00pm. Our building has a ranch style structure and is handicapped accessible. Seniors wanting to register must be physically & mentally independent, 60-years and over. Registration is free and simple, all you have to do, is walk through our doors. Currently we provide services to 1,400 seniors each month. Our Center is in its 29th year of operation.

 

Our Mission statement is to make growing older easier by keeping seniors safe; by assisting with the emotional and physical stress of life; by making their remaining years enjoyable by offering opportunities that satisfy their mental, social and educational needs; and by creating an atmosphere of belonging, affection, worthiness, usefulness, self-fulfillment and friendship. Our center is their home away from home! (Registration is required for all participants).

 

Our service area is Red Bank but local seniors are also welcomed from Tinton Falls,
Shrewsbury, Little Silver and Fair Haven. Transportation is available for all Red Bank Seniors with door-to-door service. We offer weekly shopping trips to local food markets, and our bus driver will assist with your grocery bags. We offer a multitude of classes and programs for seniors as well as a daily nutritional meal.

 

Our Classes and Programs include the Senior Support Group, Basic Computer Training, Creative Writing Class, Daily Exercise Class, and Weekly Crafts, Ceramics, Knitting, Sewing and Piano Lessons. We also offer Bible Study classes, Line Dancing instruction, Stamp Art classes, and we also have a Literary Book Club that meets monthly. We also play Bingo Games, have Holidays Parties, Cookouts, Trips, and so much more!

 

We have monthly Health Talk Programs, a Yearly Flu Shot Clinic, and Free Eye Screenings. A Visiting Nurse and a local Foot Doctor are also available monthly. Medical Transportation is available for registered members to local Doctor offices.

 

We coordinate Intergenerational Programs with the Monmouth Day Care Center, the Red Bank Primary School, R.B. Middle School, R.B. Charter School, Red Bank Regional High School and Rumson County Day. My staff and I are available to assist you with most governmental programs for seniors. Our most rewarding project has been our Senior Prom with The Senior Class at Red Bank Regional, which was a successful event for the last 2-years! In 2005 we participated in the Red Bank Halloween Parade with a Mardi Gras theme, and came in 2nd Place! Our center continues to be a place for seniors to have fun and fellowship together in the company of friends and peers!

 

Our Best Practices include:

 

1st Best Practice:
Our Creative Writing Class:
This group of seniors is magically wonderful! Their expression and sincere desire to write is overwhelming! These seniors work under the instruction of senior Marjorie Lowe, who brings out the best stories in all of them. These seniors are currently working on original short stories, family histories, original poems and news worthy articles and so much more! Several students have had the stories published in our local newspapers and in our own monthly newsletter. I had the opportunity to sit in on their class and was amazed by the stories written by these senior students!

 

2nd Best Practice:
Our Line Dancing Class:
This group of seniors has so much energy! They are an inspiration to me! Every Monday afternoon the Music is on and the dancing and fun starts! I even joined the group and have learned to do the "Electric Slide"! Seniors have the time of there life dancing the afternoon away! We have seniors who have never danced before (because they were not allowed as children) and are finally dancing and having fun! The best part of this class is that you don't need a partner to enjoy it!

3rd Best Practice:
Our Pen Pal Program:
This was the first year we participated in a pen pal program with Ms. Freeman's 2nd grade class, of the Red Bank Primary School. Ms. Freeman was my very own second grade teacher! We wrote letters all year since September 2002 and in June of 2003 we finally met our pen pals in person at their school during our pen pal party! Students were so happy to meet our seniors, and each student read a special poem about how they felt about writing to their pen pals all year! Local newspapers included our seniors with a special write-up, and smiles were had from everyone! It was a great experience for the students a well as the seniors! We have been writing to the 2nd Grade Class of Mrs. Nancy Freeman Robinson since 2002 and will definitely continue this program.

 

I urge all of our citizens of Red Bank to take advantage of all the services our center provides! Please come join us!

 

Freda Terry, Director

 

September / October Newsletter