SOLON — Older adults in Solon have a new place to go for socializing over a cup of coffee as Solon Senior Support is offering a “Senior Coffee Group” Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the Solon Methodist Church.
The new gathering debuted last Tuesday and organizer and hostess Jill Weetman said it was a long time coming.
“This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and its always just been a dream of mine to start a group that is open to everyone, especially to people who are older adults who may be at home looking to get out and meet people, looking to have some good conversation, have a nice cup of coffee, and just enjoy people.”
The new group is one more opportunity for Solon’s older adults to socialize as the Solon Public Library continues to host a Wednesday morning coffee group (9-10:00 a.m.) before their popular Chair Yoga program. Weetman said she purposefully looked at scheduling around at least some of the other activities taking place each week in Solon. The “Senior Coffee Group (a tentative name, for now)” differs from other coffee gatherings, she said, because some are a gathering of neighbors while others will be exercising together after.
“This coffee group, I hope, will be open to everyone. I just envision it as a place to come and sit down and have a cup of coffee, and a treat, and…just a hangout, essentially. I think we’re really lacking that in society now. It’s just a place to come where nothing is expected, there’s no charge, everything is free (thanks to sponsorship by Solon Senior Support), but we always happily and graciously accept donations.”
If people are so inclined, bingo and cards will be available, and Weetman envisions having speakers come in from time to time as well as other activities. But “You don’t have to do any of them. You can just come and sit and have a cup of coffee and just hang out.”
Solon’s seniors continue to hope for a place of their own
Among the conversation last week was the hope for a senior center in Solon, or at least a dedicated space in a future community center. The current community center, owned by the Solon Community School District (SCSD) and leased to the City of Solon on an annual basis, will be demolished within the next few years. The City and SCSD have had some initial discussions about the possibility of some form of joint facility. The SCSD included a multi-purpose indoor activity facility in the $25.5 million bond issue voters approved in March 2023.
“That is definitely a priority,” Weetman said of a senior center or space in a new community center. “It is something we are working toward and we’re hoping that we can show with the programs we’re doing that we do have a lot of interest and that we are getting a lot of new people in all the time that are here maybe for their grandkids.” She pointed to the proposed new senior housing complex for Solon. “We want to make sure that we have a place for them to be, something for them to do. We can invite people to come here (Solon) but if we don’t have something for them to do we’re going to lose these people to our neighboring cities that do have facilities. We want to keep people in town, we want to keep them active, and we want to keep them engaged with others. That’s really important for people’s physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being.”
Socializing, it does a body and a mind good
“Isolation can be huge, especially in winter time, and that’s what we’re combatting.” There’s also peace of mind in knowing there’s a group of people looking for you and looking out for you . “Hey, so-and-so’s not here today, is something going on? We should check on them. It’s comforting just knowing you’ve got a group of friends here that care about you and you’re going to enjoy talking with.”
Getting from Point A to Point B need not be a challenge
An ongoing and growing initiative of Solon Senior Support is the Solon Senior Transport program ran by Cindy Jensen. Seniors are able to arrange a free ride to medical appointments and the pharmacy. Jensen, the Transportation Director, can be reached at 319-360-3279. Jensen and Weetman both noted the program is always looking for more volunteer help.
“I think one of the problems (discouraging potential drivers) is people think they ‘have’ to take every request that comes in. That’s why I want to get more people volunteering,” Jensen said. “I put out a text message, ‘So-and-so has an appointment, who’s going to volunteer to take her?’ And somebody will respond.” Sometimes though, it is Jensen who ends up answering the call when nobody else is available. However, it is a task she does willingly and with care and compassion for those needing a ride.
Solon Senior Support – an evolving resource
“We started five years ago,” Weetman said, “and we’ve evolved over time. When we started we mainly were doing yardwork and some light housework. Over the years we’ve had Solon High School students volunteering their time to help and this year we have 40-50 signed up to help.” The students tackle a lot of the yardwork and other outdoor chores but have also helped with a tech program designed to help seniors with their phones, laptops, and other electronic devices. Hours put in by the students count toward earning a silver cord, which is worn at graduation. In addition, Solon Senior Support was instrumental in bringing pickle ball to Solon including providing the flooring in the gym in the Methodist Church’s Family Life Center (through several generous donations). “We have the Chair Yoga program at the Library, we sponsor it and pay the instructor.” Weetman added Solon Senior Support also helps with security during the annual Beef Days weekend. In return, the Solon Beef Days Committee has provided “a very generous grant,” she said.
“It’s just really important to have these activities for older adults in town and I hope people will take advantage, ask questions, use our services, and we are always open to everyone. We’d love to see a big turnout for everything we do,” said Weetman.
For more information, to volunteer, or to donate:
Phone – 319-624-2773
Facebook – www.facebook.com/ solonseniorsupport
Website – www.solonseniorsupport.org
Email – [email protected]
Mailing address – PO Box 131, Solon, Iowa