Whitney Senior Center Honored By National Council On Aging

(KNSI) – St. Cloud’s Whitney Senior Center is being recognized by the National Council on Aging for its Wellness Workshops Without Walls program.

Director Paula Woischke says space has been a problem for decades. It led staff to get creative to reach the area’s elderly.

“The Whitney Without Walls Program…that started back in 2006. So, meaning we started reaching out into the community such as Benet Place and St. Joe’s. So, we’ve always been reaching out, bringing programming out into the community, versus everybody coming here to the Whitney Senior Center,” says Woischke.

Naturally, when COVID-19 hit the program adapted again. Now it can reach people in person or through virtual venues like Zoom.

The classes received the Program of Excellence designation. National Council on Aging Associate Director of Network Development and Engagement Dianne Stone says, “These programs [Program of Excellence winners] have inspired older adults to learn about history and technology, stay physically active, make healthy eating choices, honor their life achievements, and stay connected with one another even during a pandemic.”

Winners are used as models to be adopted by other senior centers across the country. Whitney Center Wellness Coordinator Tracy Larsen discusses how the programs are now available for communities big and small in Central Minnesota using technology.

“So, this is a cart with a large TV, camera, microphone and, so, all of the programs that we offer virtually through Whitney we’ve brought to different communities like Long Prarie, Eagle Bend, Staples, Milaca, Brainerd, just to name a few,” Larsen says.

Woischke says the next step is to create a regional presence to tackle increasing levels of senior loneliness.

“So, we’re really developing an age-friendly community Greater St. Cloud. It’s leading us [toward] working around ending social isolation.”

The Wellness Workshop lineup includes classes on healthy eating to help prevent diabetes or deal with hypertension and high blood pressure. Tai Ji Quan and other methods to improve balance, handling arthritis and chronic conditions, and men’s sheds are other examples of courses offered.

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