Years before band leader Benny Goodman and drummer Gene Krupa introduced America to a new style of music dubbed "swing," a parcel of farmland along Broad Rock Road somehow seemed destined to serve the people of South County in ways unimagined at the time. Today that land is home to The Center, the nexus for South Kingstown Senior Services at 25 St. Dominic Road, Wakefield.  

“It all just fell into place,” observed Karen Ryan, The Center’s long term Director, as she reflected this week on the land’s history and the evolution of senior services in South Kingstown.

If you - or loved ones - are at least 60 years young (or any age, if disabled), The Center could become your “home away from home.” Not only will you discover a congenial staff, you’ll also enjoy nutritious meals, access to an array of social services, and a host of fun activities.

One of those activities is next Tuesday's (February 8, 11 am) celebration of Valentine’s Day at The Center when The ROMPS - Retired Old Musicians Playing Swing - perform Big Band music from the 1940s during a lunchtime dance party.

 First Some History

“Broad Rock was the name that the Hazards gave to their prize-winning dairy farm,” explained Helen Farrell Allen, local historian and principal of Tempus Fugit. Coincidentally, a Center member with whom we spoke this week recalled his grandfather’s working on the Hazard family dairy farm a century ago.

Most residents of South Kingstown recognize the Hazard family as the benefactors and builders of, among other things, the Peace Dale Library and the Neighborhood Guild. In fact, Peace Dale was given its name by Rowland Hazard I in honor of his wife Mary Peace.  Is it any surprise that yet another piece of Hazard real estate, the former dairy farm, today serves the community the Hazard family loved so well?

In 1954 the land at Broad Rock was donated to the Catholic Diocese of Providence which built a youth retreat center in honor of St. Dominic Savio, the saint for whom the road leading to The Center is named.

During the mid-1970s, forward-thinking resident Larry Tetreault founded the Senior Youth Association, renting from the Diocese the building which is now The Center Annex named in Mr. Tetreault’s memory.

In 1998 the Town of South Kingstown purchased the land from the Diocese of Providence. The Center was constructed in 2000 and celebrated its Tenth Anniversary last October.

 Best Kept Secret. Not.

The Center boasts some 2,400 members and a dining room capacity of 225. On any given day, dozens of our neighbors enjoy a nutritious and satisfying noontime meal (suggested donation just $3) prepared at the Pilgrim Senior Center working under the West Bay Community Action Nutrition Project in Warwick.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, yesterday’s meal featured chicken chow mein with white rice and dry noodles. A juice cup, serving of carrots and peas, and sliced peaches rounded out the meal. Each day an alternative cold meal is offered; yesterday’s was egg salad on pita bread.

The Center nutrition program is funded through the Federal government’s Older Americans Act of 1965. According to The Center Point, a quarterly publication of South Kingstown Senior Services, principal funding for The Center is provided by the RI Department of Elderly Affairs and the Town of South Kingstown.

If you’d like to have your midday meal at The Center, you do need to make lunch reservations in advance. As many as seven days’ notice is requested for special events  like next Tuesday’s Valentine’s Day celebration with The ROMPS.

Coming Soon!

Beginning on Tuesdays in March, The Center will offer - on a trial basis - a new Cafe Cuisine Menu, said Director Karen Ryan in an exclusive interview with South Kingstown Patch. The a-la-carte dining option will feature lighter fare such as healthful sandwiches, soups-du-jour, garden salads, fruit cups, simple snacks, and bottled water.

Come One, Come All

Any resident of South Kingstown or neighboring communities can become a member of The Center. Joining is easy: Just ask Elaine at the reception desk for an information form. Dues for membership in the Senior Youth Association are only $4 per year.

With the exception of the nominal cost of the midday meal or the soon-to-be-offered Cafe Cuisine items, virtually everything at The Center is free-of-charge.

The Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm but is closed on holidays.

Members arriving early in the day can savor complimentary hot beverages and pastry in the dining room.

The Center is a WIFI hot spot and you can cozy up on the sofa to surf the web in the warm glow of the beautiful gas fireplace. Or you can use the computers in the Internet Cafe. Free computing lessons are offered on an ongoing basis for newbies.

Like College but without the Student Loans

There is no obligation to hang out at The Center all day but many members do, thanks to the countless activities offered. It would take an acre of Patch to list all the programs offered at The Center. Suffice it to say you can:  

• Learn a language - French, Italian, Spanish
• Limber up - Tai Chi, Zumba (beginning Friday, February 18th at 9:30 am)
• Play games - billiards, cribbage, BINGO
• Get tech-savvy - Internet Cafe, digital camera workshop
• Share your thoughts - current events, book club, life-story writing
• Develop a craft: woodworking, ceramics
• Enjoy the arts: chorus, art history, drama club

We’re in This Together

Besides the many activities listed above, there are support groups that address concerns of widows/widowers, caregivers, and those living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s Disease.

Health and Wellness

Partnerships with several colleges from the University of Rhode Island enable The Center to host experts who share information about nutrition, pharmaceutical drugs, and other health issues.

South County Hospital sponsors a VNS Wellness Clinic on Monday and Wednesday mornings with free blood pressure checks and low-cost blood sugar and cholesterol tests. Once a month Dr. Pappas conducts a podiatry clinic.

Next Friday, February 11, at 9:30 am, Chris Hiener from the Union Fire District in Wakefield will talk about “Fire & Fall Prevention.”

Social Services

Jill Creamer is The Center’s Community Information Specialist. She can provide you with information about RIPAE (pharmaceutical discounts), SNAP (formerly “food stamps”), and LIHEAP (heating assistance) programs as well as help you with senior housing and Medicare Part D paperwork.

The South County Community Action Commodities Program distributes food at The Center Annex to qualifying residents on alternate Thursdays.

For more information about any of these services, stop in at The Center weekdays or call Ms. Creamer at 789-0268.

Leave the Driving to Us

South Kingstown’s Senior Transportation Program provides free door-to-door service for residents who do not wish to drive; call 789-0268, Ext.109 for reservations.

Those from Narragansett who need a lift to the noon meal at The Center can call the RIDE Program at 1-800-479-6902. In other areas, where available, you can reserve space on RIPTA's Flex Service by calling 1-877-906-3539.

Pay It Forward

When we visited The Center this week, Karen Ryan was quick to praise the countless volunteers, URI undergrads, students from local high schools, and Eagle Scouts who have helped to make The Center a welcoming resource for older members of the community.

With a chuckle, she added, “We’re currently looking for a ukulele teacher so we can start a ukulele band. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

For more information about The Center, visit South Kingstown Senior Services on the web or call The Center at 401-789-0268. You can also pick up a free monthly “Senior Youth Association News” at The Center and at various locations around town.

To learn more about The ROMPS, contact Richard J. Lafond, Sr., at 783-7885 or by email at ddlaf@verizon.net