What a difference two decades make!

It was 1983 when the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging-sponsored Senior Center set up shop at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in the Olney section of Philadelphia. In the 20 years since, the center now known as the Olney Senior Program at St. Paul’s has grown into a vital, dynamic center of learning, leisure and fellowship for the 50 to 60 area seniors whom it serves each weekday.

Under the management of Lutheran Children and Family Services, a social-service agency firmly rooted in the Olney community, the Olney Senior Program thrives and continues to expand. With the combined support of PCA, LCFS and St. Paul’s church, the spacious physical plant housing the program is kept bright, clean and air-conditioned. That space has expanded to accommodate the growth of the membership and the expansion of programming, providing areas for food and fellowship, games and activities, study and learning, and outdoor activities. The furnishings are new and modern, and up-to-date restroom facilities were recently added to meet new demand. In all, the physical accommodations are ideally suited to house a variety of programs, which are in turn geared toward serving the whole person at the Olney Senior Program.

One of those areas is the program’s Computer Room. The room is equipped with state-of-the-art computers and related gadgets, and in it seniors are introduced to the latest in digital technology. Computer classes teach seniors how to keep in touch with family and friends via e-mail, research medical, financial and social service questions on the Internet, and relax with a variety of learning and gaming software. The Computer Program was recently upgraded to provide digital instruction in musical composition, video and digital photography, and typing lessons.

From the information highway to the great outdoors, Olney seniors stay active in the program’s container garden. There the seniors nurture a variety of herbs, flowers and vegetables, and classes and workshops are offered on plant propagation, seed starting, and growing and using common herbs. With the addition of picnic tables and barbecue tools, the container garden area doubles as an inviting outdoor gathering place for special occasions or lazy summer days.

Not that there’s anything “lazy” about Olney seniors, as evidenced by the popularity of the program’s weekly Tai Chi class. Under the expert tutelage of Master Instructor John Chen, the Tai Chi class offers seniors a fluid, invigorating, low-impact means of keeping the mind, body and spirit in fine tune. Master Chen developed the progressive Tai Chi program specifically for the seniors to meet their unique physical needs and abilities. The class is held once each week, and it’s always standing room only!