What's changed, what hasn't in 25 years at the senior center
A lot has changed in the 25 years since the Arlington Heights Senior Center opened. But one thing remains the same: its original model of collective agencies, collaborating under one roof, to provide "one stop shopping."
"It was an innovative concept in the 1980s," says Karen Hansen, executive director, "but it's the direction many senior service providers are currently striving to put together across the country."
Center officials are packing three celebrations into their "Silver Anniversary Week." Beyond their silver milestone, they also are marking 10 years in their current location and receiving their national accreditation in March.
The Arlington Heights Senior Center is only the fifth in the state to receive the official status from the National Institute of Senior Centers. Carol Reagan, Palatine Township Senior Center director, and an officer of the national group, will present the award.
Hansen says the Arlington Heights center, with eight service agencies under one roof, remains a vibrant hub in the community, drawing hundreds of people every day in part because of its ability to adapt to trends.
"Twenty five years ago, when the center opened, people might have come to spend the day, or to have something to do," Hansen says. "Now, people are much more focused on a specific interest, such as yoga or taking Spanish lessons."
She notes that aging Baby Boomers increasingly are attending the center, and their energy and drive is shaking up the pot.
"As we attract early retirees and Baby Boomers, they are looking at volunteer projects that they can wrap up, rather than ongoing commitments," she says. "The Boomers are very much self directed and want to use their talents to head up committees, run programs and set things up."
Their interests are more varied too, Hansen adds, from Zumba to meditation, to the classes offered jointly with Harper College.
Special events planned for the week reflect those interests, from an antique car show on Tuesday, to a health presentation by Northwest Community Hospital officials on Wednesday.
Of special note is the presentation Wednesday night of the first Dr. Kenneth Hood Award, made posthumously to Jack Schimpf, a former chairman of the Senior Center Commission and of the Arlington Heights Senior Center Inc. foundation, who died in March 2007.
The award was created in Hood's name to recognize individuals who have carried forward the torch of service to today's senior population, Hansen says. Hood died last December at 100 after serving on the foundation for 25 years.
Frank DeRosa of Arlington Heights will present the award. He worked with Schimpf on both commissions, and he describes his tireless energy when fundraising for the center and its seniors.
"He was the world's best salesman," DeRosa says. "He just wanted to help seniors enjoy a better life."