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Date: 1/31/2023
HOLLAND – 2023 has brought new changes and additions for the Holland Community Center, beginning with a new staff that includes Holly Sommers, activities coordinator, Monica Talbot, kitchen manager, Sanna Hart, evening staff, and Bryan Mero, maintenance. Director/Outreach Coordinator Brenda Palmer said, “We have an amazing team of people. All four employees have brought new energy to the building and new programming.”
The center is in the process of getting quotes for new kitchen equipment as well as trying to get a feasibility study done to get their basement furnished to allow for more activities. They just got the approval for $25,000 for the kitchen. They’ll have a new dishwasher, a double door refrigerator and a freezer chest, which will help with the amount of stuff they’re prepping for lunches now as well as being able to store foods that the center sometimes gets in bulk that they can offer to their residents, and a pizza oven. The center is also trying to get more children into the building with an activity each school vacation. On Feb. 22, Rapunzel will come to the center at 1 p.m. and on Feb. 24 there will be a drive-in movie night featuring “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.” The event is free; doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will start at 7 p.m.
“We’re not refocusing onto children only, but adding on to our weekly and monthly events,” Palmer stated. “We are also adding a weekly drop in craft, and the first Monday of each month at 1 p.m. we are going to have story time with Holly Sommers, or senior guest readers.”
The Holland Community Center started out as a senior center in 2006 but changed the name to the community center in 2012 inviting anyone to join their activities. In the past five years, Palmer told Reminder Publishing the center has reached so many of its goals. They are age and dementia friendly, and part of the center’s funding is through a formula grant from Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA).
This year, EOEA has asked the center to do online classes for LGBTQ+ awareness in the senior community to make them feel comfortable and accommodated because as seniors age they sometimes lose what they had for a support system. The center wants to make sure these seniors know they have their backs. In addition, the center feels very comfortable working with veteran agents to come up with activities for senior veterans. Palmer said when you’re a community center, you have to work for everybody. It’s two different businesses in one because you’re catering towards seniors making sure they are heard, recognized, and validated. At the same time, you don’t want to forget the rest of the community, which are people that come out at night and play card games or other activities after work. Then they have children they’re trying to get to come into the building and even people that are new to town.
“There’s a lot that goes on here and hopefully people will come and join us and have a good time,” Palmer responded. “In between trying to get back to what we were doing pre-COVID [-19] and all of the changes with the employees, it’s been fabulous to work with a bunch of people that are happy, positive and energetic people that want the best for the community.” She continued, “We’re doing once a month team meeting and our goals are to be Age Friendly, Dementia Friendly, LGBTQ+ Friendly awareness and Veteran Friendly.”
There will be music bingo on March 18 from 6 to 8 p.m., a fundraiser for the Friends of the Holland Community Center. The event is $10 per person. To RSVP, email activities@hollandma.org or text at 855-865-8366. Fundraisers like this allow for the Friends to also be able to help support the center’s drive-in movie to make it a free event for families.
Holland Community Center is located at 40 Brimfield Rd. It is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call the center at 413-245-3163 or email activities@hollandma.org.