Senior Services Associates Aurora activities coordinators, Paul Heinkel and Sean Kelly, have a new partner in Jennifer Huber who joins them as the new activities coordinator at the Yorkville Beecher Center.
Huber works at the Beecher Center, 908 Game Farm Road, Yorkville, and will collaborate with Heinkel and Kelly in producing new virtual programs for seniors.
Huber comes to SSA with experience in recreation for older adults. She has a degree in recreation administration from Aurora University, worked alongside Heinkel for 18 years at the Fox Valley Park District, and then worked at Asbury Gardens assisted livin iin North Aurora where she was the community experience coordinator.
“The seniors at the Prisco Center fell in love with her,” Heinkel said. “We are excited about working together again to plan special events and parties at both the Aurora and Yorkville senior centers, as well as our trips to the Cougars games and casino trips.”
Although exercise, group classes, and regular lunches, are hallmarks of senior activities, this year has been difficult for senior centers because health guidelines have prevented them from offering congregate lunches and in-person group activities.
“We have this beautiful space in our Aurora Center, and we hope that we can start using it again soon,” Heinkel said. “In the meantime, we know our seniors need interactive activity. So, we are developing new evidence-based classes for exercise and socialization. In these programs, we know that Jennifer will be a great asset to Senior Services.”
“We have a new program we are ready to roll out now,” Huber said. “It’s called Bingocize, and it incorporates bingo and exercise. It came from the Academy of Applied Science in Health and Aging at Western Kentucky University. This is a 10-week program with a bingo game and exercise and health education, to improve and maintain mobility and independence while engaging older adults in social settings. All our virtual activities will be live video feed with the three of us participating too,” she said.
“For seniors who do not have access to mobile devices, Senior Services may be able to assist,” Kelly said.
The past few months, the activity directors have been making personal calls to seniors to raise their spirits and to check on their health. “We have also created and delivered activity bags for the seniors,” Heinkel said. The bags contained toilet paper, hand sanitizers and soaps, coloring pencils, puzzle books, candy, shelf stable food items such as tuna fish, soup, macaroni and cheese, laundry detergent, masks, gift cards to local grocery stores, house plants, hand soap and information on safety.
Heinkel thanked the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora Township, Kane County Board members, the city government of Aurora, State representative Stephanie Kifowit, Fox Valley Park District, and Envision You Ministries.
“Similar care packages have been delivered to seniors in Kendall County,” Huber said, “including donations from Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, Symphony at the Tillers, Oasis Senior Advisors, Cedarhurst of Yorkville, Prairie State Legal Services, Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion, Ltd., and Heritage Woods of Yorkville.”
“We have given out three sets of these activity bags, and later this month another 100 bags will be delivered to local seniors,” Heinkel said.
“These have been delivered to active members in our programs in past months and those seniors who have been identified by Senior Services caseworkers,” Kelly said. “We know that most of them just want to get together again, but we are really encouraging them to try the virtual classes we are offering.”
In the future, the activity coordinators plan to continue offering evidence-based programs both in person and in a virtual format. “As we talk to our seniors, we know they are getting more restless and we are trying to give them a social outlet to keep them mentally and physically engaged,” Kelly said.
For more information, and to enroll in Bingocize and other programs through Senior Services Associates, call Jennifer Huber in Yorkville, 630-553-5777, or Paul Heinkel, or Sean Kelly in Aurora, 630-897-4035.
Barb Nadeau is the Community Relations Manager for the Voluntary Action Center of DeKalb County. Barb has worked in television, radio, and print media, as well as in volunteer coordination and networking amongst non-profit social service agencies. She is a freelance writer and television host. Contact Barb at bvnadeau@gmail.com.