Murphys senior center to open

A senior center offering a variety of programs and activities is scheduled for a July 27 grand opening in Murphys.

Funded by a grant from the private Wheat Ridge Foundation, the center will offer a nutrition program with $4 meals sponsored by the nearby Sierra Hills Market, exercise classes focusing on strength training and fall prevention, art, music, bridge, an organic community garden, support groups and a variety of additional classes and support groups.

The target audience is people aged 55 and up, said site coordinator Margo Mohn.
   

Women’s handcrafts, nutrition classes featuring “Cooking for One,” a musical “I Remember When” class and “Behind the News,” a contemporary-issues discussion forum, will also be offered, Mohn said.

The center, which has not yet been named, will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

Future offerings after the grand opening may include a class on how to open up a small businesses, woodworking classes, an intergenerational program linking grandparents to school-age kids, health lectures and rent and homeowners’ assistance seminars.

The grand opening will commence at 10 a.m. and feature entertainment by pianist Kim Plowman.

Mohn said the center is looking for volunteers, especially a coordinator for the “Behind the News” discussion, which will allow seniors to express their ideas and opinions on local, state, national and global issues.

“We realize that there are volunteers out there who are looking for that opportunity to extend themselves into the lives of others and become involved in giving back to the community,” Mohn said.

The center will be housed in a new addition to the Faith Lutheran Church at Mitchler Avenue and Highway 4 and operated by an unaffiliated nonprofit group with its own board of directors.

To volunteer or for more information, contact Mohn at 728-0118.