COVID-19 has caused much disruption in everyone’s lives, but not at the Hopedale Senior Center. “The Senior Center has not been closed a single day since the pandemic was declared in March of 2020. The Meals on Wheels program has also continued without interruption,” said Carole Mullen, director of the Hopedale Council on Aging. Something that has changed with the senior center is the number of people needing food to help. “There has been an uptick in the number of people receiving meals in Hopedale,” said Mullen. Another concern deals with the volunteers. Mullen said while some volunteers who are older have stepped back from their duties during the pandemic, newer volunteers have stepped up to the plate. The volunteers have had to adjust, however. Because of social distancing rules, changes have been made that affect the medical van transportation and the errands van. “Our medical van transportation services have also continued without interruption. There is a one-passenger-at-a-time restriction, but we are making it work. Our Errand Van for grocery and personal is also in operation. We limit occupancy to two passengers per trip. We are experiencing moderate usage. It appears the most vulnerable seniors in Hopedale are fortunate to have caring people in their lives,” said the director. Volunteers and staff have played crucial roles in the ability to keep the center open and functioning. And while volunteers are always welcome, there are specific criteria that need to be met, such as being able to help during the week from 9 to 3. “Our need for volunteers is sporadic. … Our critical need is for substitute Meals on Wheels drivers,” she said. So how does a senior center adapt so well during a pandemic? According to Mullen, by putting the needs of their clients first. “Our initial focus was to work with the Hopedale Board of Health to make the Senior Center space COVID-safe for the staff, and to reach a level of compliance that would enable seniors to receive services by appointment at the Senior Center,” she said. From March to September, staff increased outreach services with phone calls for reassurance, as well as visits to seniors’ front lawns and doorsteps. “We felt that there was an abundance of Zoom programing, which many older folks might not be able to access and focused on moving some of our programing to our local cable station. “We have been offering Grab and Go meals and will continue to offer at least one meal each month for the foreseeable future,” said Mullen. COVID, she said, has highlighted the disparity that exists for those who do not have the presence of technology in their daily lives. “Computer, Facebook, Zoom—these are the building blocks of social connection and communication for the majority of the population. While they will never replace in-person human interaction these technologies are making life functional and bearable for so many of us. I believe these things will be a mainstay of the future. While Senior Centers have always had technology training and assistance, seniors have new reasons to seek training that will enable them to fully connect with family and friends. We have stepped several seniors through the Zoom process and I am glad to report that with patience, everyone has succeeded. Currently, computer assistance is only available over the phone,” Mullen explained. But only so much can be done online. So, after a lot of hard work, starting in September, the Senior Center, after becoming COVD compliant, was authorized by the Board of Health to allow seniors to enter the Senior Center by appointment. “Opening the Senior Center was especially critical as we are currently in our Fuel Assistance and Medicare Open Enrollment periods. So many seniors need one-on-one assistance in order to complete the numerous forms required for program approval,” the director said. The reopening of the center, however, doesn’t mean the hard work stopped. “September through December is typically our busiest time of year. So, for seniors with COVID concerns who don’t feel comfortable coming to the Senior Center, the process entails multiple back and forth trips to their homes to get documents, copy documents at the Senior Center and return paperwork to seniors. The process is seldom completed in a single trip. We are busy!” she said. The forms weren’t the only issues staff were seeing. “Increased isolation and loneliness are obvious issues that concern us. But equally worrisome is the increasingly sedentary nature of many seniors’ lives. With the departure of warm weather, and no indoor places to exercise we wonder how the lack of exercise will impact mobility as well as general well-being. We are exploring some possibilities. This is truly a challenge for us,” said Mullen. If the pandemic has taught Mullen and her staff one thing, it is how important the senior center is to Hopedale residence. “COVID has reinforced our belief that we play a valued role in the lives of Hopedale’s seniors. We want seniors to know that we will continue to find COVID safe ways to provide assistance and fellowship. This is what we do,” she said.