Photo: Pagosa Senior Center Christmas Party, 2025.
As we welcome 2026, the staff and Board of Directors of Archuleta Seniors, Inc. extend our warmest wishes to our community, partners, and friends. The new year is a time for fresh beginnings, renewed hope, and gratitude for the connections that strengthen us. We are thankful for the trust you place in us and for the shared commitment to supporting older adults with dignity, respect, and care. Your involvement, whether as a participant, volunteer, donor, or collaborator, continues to shape the heart of our work.
Looking ahead, we are energized by the opportunities of the year to come and remain dedicated to enhancing programs, expanding services, and fostering a welcoming community for all. Together, we will keep building spaces where people feel valued, supported, and inspired. From all of us at Archuleta Seniors, Inc., we wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and hopeful New Year. May 2026 bring peace, connection, and many moments worth celebrating.
Holiday Closures
ASI will be closed on Thursday and Friday, January 1 and 2, and Monday, January 19, for Martin Luther King, Jr Day. No programs or lunch service will be provided on those days.
Pagosa Puzzle Palooza
You’re Invited to enter the Pagosa Puzzle Palooza, a team jigsaw puzzle contest, benefiting Archuleta Seniors, Inc. and our local senior meal programs. It will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026, from noon to 5 p.m.at the Pagosa Senior Center (Ross Aragon Community Center), 451 Hot Springs Blvd. Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. Check in is at 12:00p.m., competition is 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., and awards are at 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Team (two to four people) entry fee is $40 per team. Forms are available at givebutter.com/PagosaPuzzlePalooza26, or stop in the ASI office at 451 Hot Springs Boulevard. You can return the forms by email or drop off at the office.
Get your friends, families, businesses, organizations, churches, and community groups to form a team and compete in Pagosa’s first local puzzle competition! Teams will race to complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle—but speed isn’t the only way to win.
Each team will also rally support by gathering sponsorships and donations, with every dollar raised going directly to support our Senior Center and the Meals on Wheels Program that nourishes local elders year-round. Create an original team name, and complete and submit your team registration form. Fundraise – reach out to friends, family, or community members to sponsor your team with a donation of support. Want to join but don’t have a team? Call the ASI office to leave your name and phone number and ASI will see if there are other participants who may want to create a team. Compete to see which team can raise the most for our seniors. Puzzle it out on January 24! Race against the clock to finish your 500-piece puzzle challenge first in 3 hours. Win prizes and bragging rights! Celebrate your victory knowing you’ve made a difference. Think fast, have fun, and piece together something amazing for our community!
Ready to take on the challenge? Register your team or become a sponsor and make a donation toward your favorite team’s fundraising goal. Let’s put the pieces together for a great cause!
Senior Conversations
The very popular Senior Conversations with local Bill Salmansohn is on Mondays from 1:30 p.m, to 2:20 p.m. at the Pagosa Senior Center. For January 19, since ASI is closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day, Senior Conversations will be on Friday, January 23, 1:15 to 2:15pm. Salmonsohn brings to the conversations a variety of topics designed to stimulate discussions within a safe and comfortable environment as we explore our well-being and shared experiences. This is a unique opportunity to connect with others in the Archuleta community, fostering sharing and friendships.
Stretching & Mobility Weekly Class
Community members are invited to attend free weekly classes every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Pagosa Springs Senior Center at 451 Hot Springs Blvd., in the back of the Ross Aragon Community Center. The stretching and mobility classes for adults aged 55 or better are designed to help build balance in the body through functional exercises that aim to improve mobility and flexibility. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of techniques that can help enhance overall movement efficiency. Though not necessary, a mat is recommended for this class. The program is instructed by local dance instructor Dee Pitchon, who will provide modifications to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the exercises.
Emotional Freedom.
New day and time – On the second Thursdays of the month, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., join the “Tappers,” who practice the self-regulation technique of EFT to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more. Everything you need to get started is included in this fun, engaging, supportive class. Taught by Judith Newman, LPC.
Mindful Drawing
Mindful Drawing is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. Join our friendly instructor, Roberta Strickland, CZT. Classes are every Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. in the Pagosa Senior Center. There is no class on Wednesday, November 26. This activity is open to all ages. Help us create an intergenerational community. For those under 18 and/or with disabilities, you are welcome to join us, but we kindly ask you to please bring an adult chaperone with you.
Tai Chi Chih, a Moving Meditation
Tai Chi classes will resume on Thursdays, starting January 8, 2026. Tai Chi Chih is not a martial art, but rather a tool for self-healing. Softness, flow and effortlessness are the guiding principles in this meditative practice. The 19 movements and 1 pose are designed to stimulate, circulate and balance the vital energy which is inherent in all of us.
Bingo
The Pagosa Senior Center will host bingo once in December on Friday, January 16, from 1:30 pm to 2:30 p.m. Participation is free, and all we ask is that you bring yourself and a friend for an hour of joyful fellowship. We have prizes from local businesses for all winners and snacks are also provided. No RSVP required, just show up. All ages are welcome, but we ask those 18 and younger to come with an adult chaperone. Seats are first-come, first-served.
Dine-In and Grab‘N’Go Lunch Monday through Friday
Join local elders, their friends, family, and community at the Community Café, also known as the Silver Fox’s Den, in person for delicious meals Mondays through Fridays downtown at the Ross Aragon Community Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Grab ‘N’ Go pickup via our convenient portico is also available all week, including Fridays. To reserve your meal for the day, please make your reservation via text or phone call (970) 264-2167 by 8:45 a.m. on weekdays. Please say whether it is dine-in or Grab ‘N’ Go.
Community Cafe Menu
Thursday, January 1, 2026 – Closed – Wishing You aHappy and Healthy New Year!
Friday, January 2 – Closed
Monday, January 5 – New England Clam Chowder with Oyster Crackers, Coconut Bacon Brussel Sprouts, Garden Salad, Fruit, Apple Pie, Milk
Tuesday, January 6 – Smoked Tempeh and Butternut Squash Sautee, Wilted Spinach, Garden Salad, Fruit, Carrot Cake, Milk
Wednesday, January 7 – Korean Pork Ribs, Sweet Potatoes, Garden Salad, Fruit, Vanilla Yogurt, Milk
Thursday, January 8 – Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles, Peas & Pearl Onions, Garden Salad, Fruit, Milk
Friday, January 9 – Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce, Sugar Snap Peas, Garden Salad, Fruit, Chocolate Cake, Milk
Meals on Wheels
We deliver fresh Meals on Wheels five days a week (and provide frozen Meals on Wheels for weekends) to homebound Archuleta County residents. The meals are delivered by our wonderful volunteers, whom we so greatly appreciate. Call or text us at (970) 264-2167 for information on how to sign up for the program.
Support the Senior Center
New, starting in 2026, small donations can be deducted without itemizing your tax return. It is the Permanent Universal Charitable Deduction. Here’s what this means: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 for individual tax filing and $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. The goal of this provision is to recognize and encourage charitable giving across all income levels, potentially boosting donations from middle-income households who may not itemize their deductions. This change has the potential to significantly impact charitable giving patterns by incentivizing a broader base of donors.
You may mail your donation to ASI, 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.
Another way to donate: Are you 70.5 years old or better? Do you have an IRA from which you need to take a distribution? Did you know you can make charitable donations directly from your IRA without paying taxes on the distribution, up to $100,000 per year? The donation from the account would be payable to Archuleta Seniors Inc and sent to PO Box 3444, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. This gift option is called the IRA charitable rollover or qualified charitable distribution (QCD).