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TEMECULA: Seniors group active, popular
About 175 members enjoy outings, get-togethers
By The Californian | ∞
TEMECULA ---- Esther Rhodes says seniors shouldn't just sit around their house doing nothing.
"It isn't going to do them any good," said Rhodes, vice president of Seniors' Golden Years of Temecula Valley, an 18-year-old nonprofit group that organizes events and field trips for local residents 55 and older.
The organization operates out of the Mary Phillips Senior Center in Old Town Temecula, and has about 175 members.
"A lot of people think you are going to come to the senior center and find a bunch of old crotchety people sitting around," Rhodes said. "We are an active group."
The group holds a potluck on the first Wednesday of every month at 4 p.m. It conducts social nights on the third Saturday of the month, usually starting around 5 p.m. Activities for the evening can range from Las Vegas nights to dancing to bunko.
Twice a month, the group plays bingo in the afternoons after its meetings. And at least two field trips a month are on the docket, with destinations such as casinos, museums, malls, horse races and theaters.
There is also a philanthropic arm of the group, as it organizes efforts to help the needy during the holidays and offers student scholarships.
The group has come a long way from its humble beginnings of meeting in a local resident's living room to now actively thriving at the center, Rhodes said.
Still, Rhodes said she is surprised more people don't know about the group, saying she often runs into people who have never heard of it. She said she hopes more people join.
The group isn't just about doing things; bonds are created as well, Rhodes said.
"There is a lot of support here," she said. "We've had a lot of good friendships come out of here."
Many of the members meet for lunch at the senior center to chat and catch up, Rhodes said
"It's more social than anything," she said of the group. "We do charitable things, but mostly it's social."
Membership is $12 a year. Bingo, field trips and other events cost extra.
To learn more call Rhodes at (951) 694-6466.
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