Activities and services abound at the Princeton Senior Resource Center
By Dana Beck
THE life of a retiree can sound as glamorous as that of a movie star: weekly golf outings or bridge circles, winters in balmy Florida or sunny Arizona, travel to exotic locales with no kids in tow or responsibilities at work demanding attention. However, there’s only so much golf to play or trips to take before the retiree is looking for something more — and that’s where the nonprofit Princeton Senior Resource Center comes in. From life-long learning classes to volunteer opportunities and support groups, PSRC has something for everyone ages 55 and over, in Princeton and the surrounding community.
According to the PSRC Web site, the center “empowers older adults in the diverse Princeton community to make informed choices and live healthy lives.” PSRC offers affordable services, programs and opportunities that support, educate and engage older individuals, their families and caregivers.
The key word for Susan Hoskins, executive director of PSRC, is “engaged.” “One of the most important things we offer is a place to keep making connections, to have social relationships. Beyond that, we want to help people volunteer and contribute so that they are active and involved.”
PSRC hosts a variety of programs meant to stimulate the mind and body, generally divided into sessions by season. They fall into four categories: social and recreational activities, health and fitness, education, and volunteer opportunities.
Social and Recreational Activities
PSRC holds weekly general conversation hours over light refreshments, as well as conversation hours for non-native speakers to practice English. One unique offering is the monthly Science Café, where a scientist discusses his or her specialty with the audience. Bingo and bridge groups, from beginners to advanced, play several times a week as well. “We also have special events spaced throughout the year that are very popular, including holiday parties, the opera video series and ‘Movies and Munchies,’” says Ms. Hoskins. Such programs are great times to meet new people.
Health and Fitness
”The Princeton Senior Resource Center has a wide range of exercise classes for all ability levels,” says Ms. Hoskins. Aerobics, strength training and yoga are just a few suited to higher intensity and flexibility levels, while chair exercises and non-traditional activities like the drum group offer a lower intensity option. Pingpong is a perennial favorite as well. “A group of people requested Pingpong more often and we honored that,” she says. “PSRC is really receptive to doing whatever people want in the community — we want people to make suggestions.”
Education
”I love how curious people are, that people want to keep learning,” says Ms. Hoskins. The popularity of PSRC’s educational offerings is testament to that notion. For the fall session of classes in the Evergreen Forum — “senior college” as Ms. Hoskins puts it — more than 290 people signed up for 18 courses such as “Fiction Into Film,” “Cuisines of South Asia” and “Great American Folklore.” Classes are peer-led and generally run eight to 10 weeks at $50 per class.
In addition to the varied curriculum of the Evergreen Forum, the PSRC runs its own set of hands-on courses that operate on a similar schedule. Art, computer and Internet basics, and memoir and poetry writing are staples. Like the Evergreen Forum, all of the classes are led by volunteers, many of whom attend a variety of PSRC events. Rice Lyons has been the leader of the weekly, 90-minute “Wonder of Wordplay” class for 10 years, challenging participants to read poetry and then write and share their own.
”We have had former teachers, nurses, storytellers, librarians, a potter, a folk-dancer, and even a seeing-eye dog, whom we call Wonder, attend,” says Ms. Lyons. “The mix of people is quite interesting; attendees range in age from late-40s to mid-80s.” The former Princeton University administrator relishes the chance to connect with people at PSRC; she regularly joins Evergreen Forum classes and the Science Café.
Volunteer
Another component of activities at PSRC is the chance to volunteer, either at the center itself as a class leader or administrative assistant, or in the community at large. One program is GrandPals, a reading mentorship that pairs adults with children. Another, HomeFriends, matches adults of all ages to home-based seniors to help with light chores as well as provide conversation and companionship. “We have over 335 volunteers that teach, read to kids, work in the office or visit homes,” Ms. Hoskins says. “We also welcome people of all ages, including corporations, to work with our HomeFriends program or volunteer at the center or at special events.”
In addition to the plethora of activities and classes at the PSRC, another positive benefit is the level of social services and support, both to the senior community as well as to caregivers and families. Individual and family counseling for life transitions is available, on a donation-suggested basis. It hosts monthly support groups, including ones for bereavement and caring for aging parents. PSRC offers a wealth of information for area resources, from advice about long-term care insurance to downsizing and selling your home, so stop in, call or check its Web site.
One of the newest programs at the PSRC is “Engaged Retirement,” coordinated by Carol King. Geared to younger seniors who are thinking of retiring, as well as those seniors well into retirement, the classes deal with the financial changes inherent in leaving a job and, importantly, the changes in how one redefines oneself and their time.
”Retirees are leaving their work and income but are also leaving aspects of themselves, their identity,” says Ms. King. “Often that means leaving their social contacts, their daily structure and their sense that they’re doing something useful and creative.”
The introductory course overviews these issues in a 90-minute session, held quarterly at the Princeton Public Library free of charge. Additionally, companies can request a 45-minute “Lunch and Learn” course, covering the changes that retirement brings. “We strive to help employers maximize the advantage of the wisdom and experience that older individuals bring to the workplace,” says Ms. Hoskins. “That can also mean working with nonprofits to attract and maintain retired volunteers.”
Longer four-week and eight-week courses explore the transitioning issues further, and as one participant noted, answer some “really tough questions about ‘Who am I?’” Ms. King, a former college professor, found herself in the same situation several years ago after retiring, and now is happily engaged working part-time at the PSRC. “It’s a roaring, busy place that helps me stay connected and fulfills the need for adult intellectual stimulation that is demanded by the community,” she says.
PSRC mails a monthly bulletin to more than 2,500 households to promote its classes, special programs and community news and regularly updates its Web site with upcoming events and photos. “The Princeton Senior Resource Center is about community building: we attract people from different ethnicities and age groups from the surrounding areas,” says Ms. Hoskins. “Being here is about living life to the fullest every day.
For more information, call the Princeton Senior Resource Center at 609-924-7108 or visit www.princetonsenior.org

