The Glen Cove Senior Center, located in the heart of the city, is home to thousands of members, with hundreds of visitors a week.
The center, located at 130 Glen St., offers daily lunches and programs, such as exercise classes, outings, crafts and activities, lectures and workshops.
“It is so vibrant here. It’s all about socialization and connecting with people,” Christine Rice, the center’s executive director.
Rice, who has been at the center for seven years, said one of the most impactful things she has witnessed is the “drastic” decrease in the average age of its members. When she first started, Rice said the average age of the center’s members was 85, and now it falls in the high 70s.
“We are getting many, many more seniors coming in,” she said.
Rice said that during COVID, the center hosted virtual programs that helped expand its reach. Now, the center has approximately 2,000 members. On an average day, Rice said 75 to 100 people visit the center for lunch, a number which doesn’t account for daily programs, activities and classes.
Although most of its membership comes from the Glen Cove, Sea Cliff and Glen Head area, Rice said the center accepts seniors from all over Nassau County, with some hailing from Westbury and Hempstead for its programs.
For members who live within the city, as well as surrounding neighborhoods, the center offers free transportation.
“I think our transportation is a huge plus,” Rice said.
Rice said one important program is the center’s social work program, which aims to support seniors with whatever they may be going through.
“I think it’s really important that seniors know that there’s help out there,” Rice said.
While many think of it as the “golden years,” Rice said many seniors face financial trouble, medical costs, housing issues, grief and loneliness, among other issues that may arise.
“Seniors still struggle with the same issues that they may have struggled with their whole life, or that they weren’t expecting to struggle with,” she said.
Currently, she said the center has one certified social worker, and will eventually have two.
Another highlight is the adult day program, Rice said. The program, which Rice referred to as a “gem within the city,” provides aid to approximately 35 physically and emotionally frail individuals.
One practice that Rice strongly advocates is intergenerational activity. The center, which is right next to the city’s youth bureau, hosts many programs that intend to bridge the generational gap.
In April, the center participated in the Business Improvement District’s Art Crawl, displaying artwork that it made with the city’s students.
But intergenerational activities aren’t few and far between. Rice said many of the center’s volunteers are high schoolers who visit regularly.
Rice said the center encourages anyone who is interested in programming to visit in person or on the website, glencoveseniorcenter.com.
“We just want people to know that we’re here to help them,” Rice said.
