SENIOR CENTER NEWS: Celebrate the Kentucky Derby

The Pagosa Senior Center welcomes the community to our first annual Kentucky Derby event at the Tennyson Event Center, 197 Navajo Trail Dr., Saturday May 6, 2023 from 3pm to 6pm. This event is a fundraiser for Archuleta Seniors Inc.

Dress and wear your derby hats, Dance to the music of Tim Sullivan. Enjoy appetizers and desserts. We will offer a cash bar with wine, beer and mint juleps. We will be live streaming the Kentucky Derby.

Bid on fabulous silent auction items. Enjoy and have fun!  Help Pagosa Seniors.

For more information about the event contact us at the Pagosa Senior Center 970.264.2167

Dine In Monday through Thursday
Join us at the Silver Fox’s Den aka Community Cafe in person for daily hot/cold meals Mondays through Thursdays downtown at the Ross Aragon Community Center between 11 am and 1 pm weekly. Pickup is available all week including Fridays.

Our dining hall is open to all ages and welcomes you all with kindness and warmth. We provide hot/cold meals for anyone in the community interested in a nutritious and delicious meal. For those 60 or older we request a suggested donation of $10.00, but no one will be turned away.

There is a $10.00 charge for guests under the age of 60. Meals include a main course, side dish, fruit/dessert, garden salad plus beverage. Some popular menu items include: Frito chile pie, pork tenderloin with harvest chutney, Singaporean pork ribs, vegetarian lasagna, Hawaiian shrimp with coconut rice and always a beautiful green salad. Many of our items are locally sourced and organic.

Our chef works with a team of local food professionals to hand prepare your meal for dine in service in our cozy dining room (with an amazing view of the San Juans) or for takeout (via our convenient drive through) with you on any of your local adventures in Pagosa Country. Our menu changes daily.

Please visit our website at http://www.psseniors.org/community-cafeacute.html to view our weekly menu. To reserve your meal for the day please make your reservation via text or phone call 970-264-2167 by 9 am weekdays.

We provide a welcoming gathering space that serves as a community hub where nutritious food and other resources/supports are available to help older adults and their caretakers stay independent, active, engaged in our community, and living in their homes. Weekly educational and social activities include our healthy aging and yoga therapy class, Mahjong, Zentangle and more.

Check out our Senior Discount card for local discounts and perks http://www.psseniors.org/discount-club.html

Senior Conversations
Join us Wednesdays at 1:15 pm for a series of “Senior Conversations” with local Bill Salmansohn. He will lead the group through mindfulness exercises and discussion of various topics pertaining to aging in Archuleta County. Explore and discover for yourself answers to your questions and concerns. The meeting will be held at the Pagosa Senior Center in the dining hall, snacks will be provided.

Free Seasonal Art Class
Next FREE art class at the Senior Center will be Tuesday, April 25th at 1:15 PM. No reservations are required but space and supplies are limited so be sure to be there by 1:15. The class will last approximately an hour and a half. Not really “art” but certainly creative, this craft class will explore how you can transform a simple washcloth into the cutest little Spring Bunny. No art skill is required for this class – just a desire to have fun and learn how to use your hands and your skill into shaping a little bunny from a washcloth. All materials will be provided including the washcloth, trimmings, scissors, and glue. Suitable for the grandkids provided they are over 8 years old and friends are always welcome to join us! Our teacher will be Denise Fisk, who is a retired elementary art teacher from Iowa. Come and enjoy the camaraderie and take home something so cute your friends will be jealous!

Healthy Aging & Yoga Therapy Class Series Continues
Gather with local yoga practitioners AJ Connors and Will Sechrist for a series of evidence based healthy aging and yoga therapy classes at the Pagosa Senior Center geared for adults and older adults of all ages. Start 2023 with a yoga series for healthy aging individuals with therapeutic classes offering yoga tools and education for strength, resilience, and wellness. Classes are designed to address different aspects of healthy aging and are geared towards accessibility and gentle practice. The themes for the class will include physical and mental well-being utilizing movement, meditation, and breathing practices. Mats and chairs will be provided; it’s optional to bring a blanket, and please wear comfortable clothing. Classes are free but donations are welcomed. Class is offered Mondays 2:30 pm-3:30 pm throughout the Spring.

Mobile Food Pantry Service
The Pagosa Senior Center would like to remind the community about our mobile food pantry services we provide in partnership with Archuleta County MET to seniors age 60 and older throughout most areas of Archuleta County. In order to participate in this program, community members must visit with Barbara Noriega at the downtown Senior Center located in the Ross Aragon Community Center to fill out an application to qualify for the mobile pantry service.   For more information contact us at 970-264-2167.

Engaging Pictures are needed from seniors and their families who live, work and play their best lives in Archuleta County. We are looking for pictures that convey people’s active lifestyles, families, culture and more. We would like to use these pictures in our grant applications, on social media and our website. Please email all pictures to rosa@psseniors.org or feel free to drop them off.

Community Cafe Menu
Thursday, April 20 – Crispy cod with tartar sauce, wilted spinach, fruit salad, cinnamon coffee cake and milk.

Friday, April 21 – Beef meatloaf with roasted herb potatoes, garden salad, fruit, bread pudding and milk.

Monday, April 24 – Teriyaki beef and peppers on coconut rice, snow peas, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Tuesday April 25 – New Orleans corn and sausage clique with dinner roll, cooked greens, garden salad, fruit, Mississippi mud pie and milk.

Wednesday, April 26 – Tempeh chile, cornbread and honey, garden salad, fruit, custard tarts and milk.

Thursday, April 27 – Pork tenderloin with orange glaze, romanesco broccoli, carrots, garden salad, fruit, banana brunch cake and milk.

Friday, April 28 – Chicken marsala, baked potato, peas & onions, garden salad, fruit, cookies, and milk.

Requesting Donations
ASI has an immediate monetary need to support ongoing operations and programming that provide critical services to some of the most vulnerable in Archuleta County. Please consider donating to Archuleta Seniors Inc. You may mail your donation to PO BOX 3444, Pagosa Springs CO 81147 or please visit our website: http://www.psseniors.org/ (donation button). Donation checks can be written to: Archuleta Seniors, Inc.

We are located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd., in downtown Pagosa Springs.

For more information about ASI, please visit http://www.psseniors.org/.

Rosa Chavez

Rose Chavez is Executive Director for Archuleta Seniors, Inc. and Public Health Consultant at Archuleta Food System/Food Equity Coalition.