OLD BRIDGE — It was like Christmas morning when residents at the Reformed Church Home, an assisted living facility, opened gift bags filled with colorful crocheted lap blankets.
Members of the Old Bridge Senior Center — recently renamed the Silver Linings at Old Bridge — presented the lap blankets to the residents on Sept. 14 as part of an outreach project in honor of National Senior Center Month.
Each lap blanket included a personalized tag “From your friends at Silver Linings at Old Bridge.”
The members were joined by Anahita Feltz, manager of Silver Linings, Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry, Matt Mercurio, director of parks, recreation and social services, for Old Bridge and staff at the Reformed Church Home on Route 18, including Kate Shepard, executive director, Amy Wendel, director of recreation, and Andrea Walls, director of marketing.
Feltz said 10 members led by leader volunteers Juanita Rhodes and Pauline Heffren spent time crocheting the blankets.
“We made 46 blankets,” she said, noting they had some experienced crocheters in the group as well as some beginners.
Henry said they have great people in a town of 70,000 plus residents. He said that is a testament to the members at Silver Linings and the people that live at the Reformed Church Home and the many staff at the home.
Shepard said on behalf of the residents and the staff, they are flattered members at Silver Linings chose them as recipients of the crocheted lap blankets.
Feltz said they will take the themes of growing, learning, giving and connecting, which is celebrated throughout the month of September for National Senior Center month, and continue projects throughout the year.
Silver Linings at Old Bridge is the only senior center accredited by the National Institute of Senior Centers in Middlesex County, the fifth accredited center in the state. The center gained the status in December 2015.
Feltz said Silver Linings has 2,500 registered members and sees 100 to 150 members on average come through the center each day. She said the center also provides an extensive transportation service for members.