Darb Snyder Senior Center in Millersburg slowly returning to normal

MILLERSBURG — After a two-year hiatus from providing in-house activities, the Darb Snyder Senior Center on Parkview Drive in Millersburg is slowly returning to some sense of normalcy, according to director Georgie Cool.

More: Expanding on success: Enterprise zone allows Holmes hardwood business to grow, adds jobs

The facility is once again serving lunches to seniors who want to come in and enjoy some socialization. All programs are designed to serve the needs of senior citizens — needs for social interaction, intellectual stimulation and emotional enhancement.

"The same day that we opened up, Coshocton and Carroll County senior centers opened up as well," Cool said. "We're starting slow with day by day activities. We're still doing grab and go lunches, where people can call in and order their meal. The only thing different is they have to walk in and pick it up. We're waiting on the tables of people eating here in our congregate area. We serve about 106 meals a day.

"We've been busy the last couple weeks trying to make everything fall into line," she added.

There are five people working at the senior center, including Cool. Penny Hamilton serves as financial officer and head cook. Sue Garver is one of the transportation drivers. Karen Goff is assistant cook and Megan Hamilton is the dishwasher. Helen Hall and Jan Ochs are Meals on Wheels drivers. Hall handles the western route and Ochs the eastern end. Mary Gallion comes in weekly to handle some cleaning duties.

Upcoming events at the Darb Snyder Senior Center in Millersburg

Senior Days will begin the last Friday in May.

"We will have 18 vendors set up in the lower level beginning at 10 a.m.," Cool said. "Visitors can come in and walk around, and talk to representatives from nursing homes, a hearing aid doctor, some medical and financial people dealing with assisted living, assisted care and some different vendors, like the Holmes County Veterans Service, Salvation Army and the Society for Equal Access that offers different incentives and programs for seniors.The Area Agency on Aging, One-Eighty and the Health Department staff along with various nursing homes and the County Home will all be represented."

The senior center will give out 100 tickets free of charge to the Senior Days event. The only requirement is attendees have to be 60 or older to gain entry. to the building. Tickets are available at the facility

The Darb Snyder Senior Center is starting its third year of farmers' market vouchers.

"Any Holmes County resident over 60 years of age can come in and show their ID and proof of address, we present them with 10 $5 vouchers to be spent at any area farmers markets, such as Harvey's Market," Cool said. "Aside from the one out west on state Route 39, Harvey's has taken over Miller's Market in Walnut Creek.

"These vouchers can be used at any farmers' markets in our affiliation, like Wooster on Saturday mornings, Coshocton or Tuscarawas," she added. "Anyone over 60 simply has to come in and fill out paper work, and then we will give them the vouchers starting in May."

Cool said someone has volunteered to do senior bingo, but the center isn't rushing into any those kind of things.

"Senior bingo is normally held on Tuesdays," Cool said. "We hope to start doing card games again, like euchre, but nobody has spoken to us yet about putting them together. We also have a group that plays Hand and Foot, but since we were closed down, they started playing over at Danbury.

"We have not talked at all about restarting our church service," Cool added. "It was getting very hard for a number of the ministers to come in. It was falling on the shoulders of only two or three of them who were doing our church service for us. We'll just wait and see, to find out what and how the people want us to move forward."

Partnering with Holmes County Health Department

The Holmes County Health Department is teaming up with the Senior Center to conduct two Ger-Fit classes on Mondays and Wednesdays in the mornings in May.

Anyone interested in participating should contact the health department to get on the list.

For more information about the Darb Snyder Senior Center and its activities, call 330-674-0580.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Darb Snyder Senior Center slowly returning to normal