Raleigh, NC

An extensive program that offers a variety of sports and recreational activities, trips, educational seminars, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and more to older adults.

The Parks and Recreation Department in Raleigh, North Carolina, administers the Senior Adult Program, one of the most extensive programs of its kind in the country. The program offers a variety of active opportunities to elderly adults.

Nuts and Bolts:

• Rather than having a single 'senior center' for the entire community, the participants of the program are divided into local clubs, of which there are currently 49.
• These clubs are essentially chapters of the program that manage their own memberships and designate one individual as their club leader.
• Club leaders meet frequently with the program director who provides information about new resources, activities or events that the clubs may be interested in.
• The Senior Adult Program partners with several other city departments and local organizations and businesses to offer services and hold events.

Successes:

• The program makes it easy for older adults to join a club in their own neighborhood, or one that focuses on a certain activity, and to network and meet others while having access to community resources.
• The program's annual holiday celebration, a collaboration between  city and area businesses, draws a crowd of 1,200-1,400 older adults.

How can you do it?

• Contact local businesses, organizations, clubs, and church groups to form a partnership independent of senior centers or homes.

For more information on this program: The Senior Adult Program