365 Days Since COVID-19 Closed the Doors for Members to Enter the Building

March 16, 2020 at 8:00 PM, Governor Tom Wolf closed down all “non-essential” stores, recreational centers, including senior centers and their day programs. Senior Centers were considered “essential” as far as serving Congregate and Home Delivered Meals to our participants, so we remained opened for these services and expanded our activities to include outdoor events as the year went on. Nobody ever thought this global pandemic would go on an entire year!

As much as COVID-19 has been horrible with people getting the virus, dying from the virus, not being able to be with your friends and family, the loneliness and isolation many people felt, White Rose Senior Center (as well as many senior centers) tried our best to stay connected and have fun with our members!

The staff at White Rose Senior Center put together a video entitled “Recap 2020 WRSC” of many of the happenings of March 17, 2020 through March 17, 2021 to commemorate this life changing year. Click HERE to see the White Rose Senior Center You Tube video.

Thanks for the memories and laughter we shared! Remember, we are all in this together!

Month at a Glance - March 2021

WELCOME MARCH…a month closer to warmer weather!!! February was a definitely cold and the most snow we have had in several years. I guess that is par for the course in dealing with COVID-19 for an almost total year. March 17, 2020, was the date that we closed the Center doors from people entering the building except for the essential workers to get the meals and food programs out to all of you! We were able to figure out how to bring many programs outside safely during COVID-19 as the weather got nicer. The big and beautiful shade tree out front was a true blessing to all of us! The staff is working on something special to share with you to commemorate White Rose Senior Center and how COVID-19 changed all of our lives. Look for that on March 17, 2021!

During the Grab and Go Lunch hour of 10:30-11:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we have several fun activities for you to participate in such as “Spirit Days” for Dr. Seuss Week! March 1st celebrate “Cat in the Hat” by wearing your Fun Hat. March 2nd, it’s “Fox in Socks: Rainbow socks, one red, one blue, only silly socks will do” so wear your silly socks and show them to us! On March 3rd, it is Wacky Wednesday, so wear your clothes backwards, inside out, or mismatched. Wacky hair is s bonus! Of course pictures will be shared on Facebook!

We also have Nutrition Month handouts every Monday, Bible Study Guides from Bruce Shaub, “Roll a Leprechaun” Take Home Game, “Color a Sea Scene” Take Home Game, a Spring Coloring Page, craft kits, and an Easter Egg Hunt planned to put smiles on your faces!

Many have asked for another Sub Sale so the R&K Sub and Sandwich Sale sheets will be distributed starting March 1st. The orders and monies are due on or before Tuesday, March 16, 2021. The subs and sandwiches will be delivered and ready for pick up on Tuesday, March 23rd at 10:30 AM during our lunch service hour or until 4:00 when we close for the day. Members…don’t forget to ask your children if they could help us out and sell at their work locations! We would be glad to provide them a fundraiser sheet…or better yet CLICK HERE to print one off!

White Rose Senior Center has been collaborating with other York County Senior Centers to bring VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING to as many people as we can to prevent social isolation. We all have great programs to share and this improves our attendance numbers and makes a great day for those who attend! These activities are through Facebook Live and Zoom. We know that some of you are struggling with Zoom so we have set up a practice time on Thursday, March 4th from 1:30-2:30. Plus we are very willing to help you one-on-one or over the phone. If you need a device, Tech Owl, is a non-profit who has devices and tech support for you to borrow. Click HERE for a flier about their awesome service!

Some of the White Rose Senior Center Virtual Programs through Zoom that we are offering are:

  • Zumba Gold with Heather Cintron on Wednesdays at 1:00.

  • A whole ART CLASSES from Brianna Heck at Kutztown University every in March at 1:00. (3/5 Macrame for Beginners; 3/12 Marbled Jars; 3/19 Tissue Paper Mosaic Hearts and 3/26 Scrap Paper Flowers.) We have the supplies for you that can be picked up at the Center beginning March 1st. Please call and let us know you would like to participate so we can have the correct amount available!!!

  • Cooking in Quarantine with Deb Bixler - “Not Your Typical March Green Dishes…Two Fun, Fast and Healthy International Dishes to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day” will occur on Tuesday, March 9th at 1:00.

  • “Green Sock Hop St. Patty’s Day Party” with DJ Chris Wagman will be held Tuesday, March 16th at 1:00! Our Mardi Gras, Party Gras was so much fun so join us for this! Wear GREEN and we have more PRIZES just for you!

  • Shamrock Bingo with PRIZES will take place on Wednesday, March 17th at 2:00 to honor St. Patrick’s Day. We have the special cards for you. You can pick them up or we can email you a card…just call us at 717-843-9704!

  • Gateway Health Virtual Nutritional Bingo is on Monday, March 29th at 1:00. Call us so we can make arrangements for you to have a bingo card and play along for FABULOUS PRIZES!!!

Facebook Live Virtual Programs include:

  • Great TOURS of IRELAND every Thursday at 1:00. :We will put up the links and you just click on that link. You can watch them at a later time if your schedule does not permit you to watch at 1:00.

  • St. Patrick’s Day Word Scramble Challenge will be held Wednesday, March 10th at 2:00.

  • Flashback Friday (1990) will be on March 12th at 10:00.

  • Guess How Many M&M’s in the Leprechaun Jar starts on Monday, March 15th at 1:00, is shared on Tuesday during the Grab and Go Lunch hour and announced on Wednesday during the lunch hour!

  • Leprechaun Race is scheduled for Monday, March 15th at 2:00. A PRIZE is involved!!!

  • Throughout the month we use Facebook Live to announce the winners for the Nutrition Month Word Search Handouts, Spirit Day Winners, our Fairy Friday Drawings that occur twice a month on Fridays to people who were coming to eat lunches inside our building prior to COVID-19, and the Spring Coloring Contest Winner.

And we have another Virtual Program offering from Tabitha Valentin at Penn State Cooperative Extension. This is a CONFERENCE CALL activity entitled “Seniors Eating Well: Healthy Grains”. This will be held on Friday, March 12th and March 26th from 11:00-11:30. Please let White Rose Senior Center Staff know that you would like to participate by calling us and giving your phone number. Our number is 717-843-9704.

White Rose Senior Center will NOT be participating in the AARP Tax Assistance Program this year. AARP does not have the man-power to assist us. They still have openings at other locations. Living World Community Church, Messiah United Methodist Church and Aldersgate United Methodist Church. You must call for an appointment to York County Area Agency on Aging, if you are 60 years or older, at 717-771-9042. For the ages between 50 to 59, call 717-640-5006. Click HERE for the flier that lists the dates and times. You may have to leave a message at the above numbers and somebody will return your call.

We would like to welcome our NEW MEMBERS: Faye Morey (actually has been a member but updated her into our system), Jesus Lopez-Colon, and Joann Reilly.

For a complete March Calendar, Menu, and Newsletter, click on the links below:

March 2021 Calendar in English

March 2021 Calendar in Spanish

March 2021 Menu

March 2021 Newsletter in English

March 2021 Newsletter in Spanish

We have been back with Springettsbury Township offering programs (STARS) since the Fall 2020. The class sizes are limited to 8 participants. Check Out the upcoming Spring Classes HERE!

Join us for all of these great programs and here is to “Wishing all of you a Safe and Healthy March…Let’s Cheer in Spring Friends!”

Month at a Glance - February 2021

“Love is in the Air” at White Rose Senior Center during February 2021! We are asking for you to bring in the “Cutest Couple Picture”, make Valentine’s Day Cards for our front line workers at York Hospital, buy raffle tickets for Valentine’s Day Wreaths, and participate in the “Love Gift Exchange” plus other fun activities while coming for your lunches.

We have expanded our Virtual Programs and have a list of programs from a few York County Senior Centers. To view that listing, click HERE.

White Rose Senior Center is very excited to bring to you a Zoom Mardi Gras, Party Gras Virtual Party on Tuesday, February 16th at 1:00. Wear your favorite Mask for prizes! DJ Chris has great New Orleans Party-time songs for a fun hour! Click HERE to join the Mardi Gras, Party Gras Event.

AARP Taxes are beginning in February at limited locations and times. White Rose Senior Center is waiting to see and hear what we might offer. People are still not allowed in our building. We may offer a scan and go process where your documents are scanned, the tax preparers work on your taxes for a week or so and then your final copies are returned to you at the Center. We should know if we are doing this by the third week in February. Please give us a call at 717-843-9704 to inquire.

AARP Tax Locations

How AARP Tax Aid Help?

AARP Tax Flier

White Rose Senior Center would like to Welcome the Following New Members:

Kevin Griffith, Betty Campbell, and Lisa Mundis

For a complete February 2021 Calendar, Menu and or Newsletter, click below.

February 2021 Newsletter (English)

February 2021 Newsletter (Spanish)

February 2021 Calendar (English)

February 2021 Calendar (Spanish)

February 2021 Menu

We LOVE hearing from you on Facebook, Zoom, Emails, and the Phone. We miss you all and can’t wait until the day we can all be together again as one big White Rose Senior Center Family!!!

Stay Connected, Stay Safe and Healthy Friends!

FEBRUARY 2021 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS from YORK COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS

Several York County Senior Centers are sharing their Virtual Programs so more Older Adults can stay connected! There are activities that are through each senior center’s Facebook page and/or Zoom. If you need help getting getting contact that senior center.

We are all here to help you get and stay connected for many FUN ACTIVITIES!!!

Check out the entire listing below.

FEBRUARY 2021 VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING with YORK COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS

York County Senior Centers Share Virtual Programs

Some of the York County Senior Centers have decided to share our Virtual Programs with each other in hopes to reach more older adults. Each month, a new listing will be shared. You may want to contact the senior center that is hosting an activity with any questions. If this grows, we may try to find funding to have a Virtual Senior Center in York County, similar to Lancaster County!

The links are provided on the following document. Click HERE.

Month at a Glance - January 2021

A New Year always brings promise for a new beginning, a new resolution, and a new look of life. After the year we have all had with dealing with COVID-19 and politics, we have a new hope of better things to come! A vaccine and new medicines to help battle the pandemic are here and in due time, we pray we will be able to get back to our routines and things we loved doing prior to the pandemic.

We have a few NEW things we will be offering at White Rose Senior Center. One is for our Lunch Pick Up. Lunches will still be handed out from 10:30-11:30 on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (unless there is a holiday or we are closed for inclement weather). The change is that if you drive or somebody will bring you to the Center, you may pick up your lunch at the first side door. If you walk to the Center, please continue to come to the front doors. This change is due to the colder weather and will likely go back to what we have been doing since March 17, 2020 in the springtime when we can do outdoor programming again.

The second NEW change is that some of the York County Senior Centers are offering/sharing our Virtual Programming so more older adults can stay connected. Please contact your local senior center for a list of virtual programs via Zoom and Facebook Live. We plan to run this for a few months to see what the response is before we go and look for additional funding for a Virtual Senior Center idea like what Lancaster County is offering! Your thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated on this new concept!

On Tuesday, January 19th, we are asking all who participated in the Secret Pal Program for 2020 to bring in your $5.00 gift for your Secret Pal for the Reveal during the lunch service. We will distribute it to your Secret Pal on Wednesday, January 20th during the lunch service. If you would like to participate in the NEW Secret Pals for 2021, you will receive a paper to complete and turn into the staff. New Secret Pals for 2021 will be picked on Monday, January 25th during the lunch service!

TAFE (Theatre Arts For Everyone) will add a NEW Program to WRSC. During Fresh Express Food Distribution on Thursday, January 14th and Thursday, January 28thth beginning at 10:00, TAFE will have a Puzzle Packet for you to do! We want to thank them for helping to keep us all sharp!!!

To view our January Calendar, Menu, and Newsletter in English and Spanish, click on the links below. You will notice that we have less activities in January which is due to staff out for vacations and maternity leave. So that leads me to our Best NEW happening is that Jenna and Justin welcomed a New daughter on December 3, 2020. A picture of Joslynn Marie and her big sister, Jaelynn Marie, is in the January 2021 Newsletter for your viewing!

January 2021 Calendar in English

January 2021 Calendar in Spanish

January 2021 Newsletter in English

January 2021 Newsletter in Spanish

January 2021 Menu

Check out the STARS Winter 2021 Session with Springettsbury Township (Call to make sure the programs are still being offered.)

COVID-19 is still very much real and hitting many friends and families that are close to us. The CDC sent out a flier entitled “Personal and Social Activities”. Click HERE to review it. As always please wear your mask when coming to the doors and talking to your friends outside. Stay 6 foot apart from others and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after touching the doors and handouts to stay as safe and healthy as you can! Your safety is our number one concern!

Finally, please let us know if you need additional food. Food insecurity is a huge concern and we do have extra meals available to people 60 or over. You just need to ask the staff…no questions asked. We also have a “Food Assistance Resources” Sheet available with information on Food Pantries, Food Bank Programs and Distribution Sites, the SNAP Program, Programs for Kids and Programs for Seniors. To view the flier in English, click HERE. To view the flier in Spanish, click HERE.

And finally, here is our wish and toast for 2021…”We hope we all have a Happier New Year in 2021 and can return to the Center, a place where fun is always had! Stay safe and healthy friends!”