$5K Grant Awarded To Chester For Improved Senior Services

CHESTER, NJ — Each year, Atlantic Health System's (AHS) Morristown Medical Center awards scholarships to organizations that match their objective of responding to specific community healthcare needs, and this year's beneficiary was a Chester medical office.

Morristown Medical Center provided $5,000 in funding to the Senior Resource Center of North Jersey (SRC) to assist their wide offering of wellness workshops, educational programs and referral services for seniors and their caregivers.

SRC is located in Chester and attracts participants from all around West Morris County.

SRC's aim is to empower seniors who desire to stay at home for the majority of their senior years by assisting them in maintaining a healthy and meaningful lifestyle. SRC provides in-person classes four days a week, a monthly lunch-and-learn, and special educational workshops throughout the year.

According to officials, SRC’s programs are geared towards the needs of seniors and the challenges they face.

SRC provides services to address the following:

1. Keeping seniors healthy enough to remain at home during their senior years through exercise classes and programs,
2. Providing a community where seniors can form meaningful relationships to combat isolation, loneliness, and associated depression,
3. Education in health and meaningful areas applicable to aging.

SRC workshops feature guest lecturers on a variety of themes, including ageism, cardiovascular disease, better bone health, the aging eye, cancer, memory loss, nutritional diets, and osteoporosis.

“Having been a participant in SRC for about 16 years, I have found most valuable the Healthy Bones class, which strives to prevent osteoporosis. I had been diagnosed with osteopenia before I participated, and since I have attended these classes, my bone density tests show no further deterioration and even progress,” one SRC participant said.

Current course and educational offerings include the following weekly courses and monthly sessions:

• Chair Yoga
• Yoga on the Mat
• Healthy Bones in partnership with Norwescap RSVP
• Stretch Bands
• Pilates
• Qigong/Tai Chi
• Walking Club (twice-weekly based on pacing speed)
• Line Dancing
• Piano (Level I and Level II)
• Exploring Music
• Quilting Group
• String Jam Group
• Jewelry Class
• Monthly Lunch-and-Learn Workshops, which are held at local libraries

Aside from this grant, SRC hosts fundraisers and receives donations and volunteer service hours and space from a range of community stakeholders. SRC lessons are held in the Church of Messiah in Chester, located at 50 County Road 513.

“SRC means the world to me. Keeping me moving to great exercises with fantastic instructors. So grateful that I am part of a great ‘family’ of friends,” an SRC participant said.