Volunteers planning holiday dinners

CHESAPEAKE — The rooms were packed Friday and the cake was cut at noon, marking exactly one year to the hour since the Sybene/Chesapeake Senior Center held their ribbon cutting and opening.

More than 90 guests showed up at the modular units at the Chesapeake Community Center an hour before the event for appetizers and to socialize at the facility.

The current senior center is the culmination of a journey of sorts. The facility’s first location was in Burlington, but was shut down when a senior citizens levy did not pass. That center was shut down because of funding cuts.

The Chesapeake center opened last year and now receives 30-35 visitors daily, according to director Darlene Greene.

She said the facility offers a number of options for area seniors, including an exercise class, Bible study, bingo and an opportunity to socialize. They recently organized a trip to the Amish country for the seniors.

“We also offer educational things and bring in guest speakers,” she said.

Greene stressed that people working at the center are not in it for the money.

“Everybody is doing it as a volunteer. No one gets paid,” she said.

The center is open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and serves meals on those days.

Greene said the last Friday of every month is designated as “Our Day,” and a potluck dinner is hosted at the center.

The staff has dinners planned for the seniors to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, scheduled for Nov. 26 and Dec. 18, Greene said.

Those two dinners will be at First Baptist Church in Proctorville, behind the fairgrounds, to accommodate a larger number of people.