The Young at Heart Senior Center is always bustling, with people participating in various activities: drinking coffee, conversing, playing euchre, exercising, reading — and, most importantly, seeing friends.
Members and guests ebb and flow through the game room, fitness center, classrooms, library, and activity areas. They gather at tables and on couches, grab a snack, bring lunch, or sit quietly at the computer. Many are members of both Fairfax City and Fairfax County centers — and they always make time for Young at Heart.
Green Acres Center, where seniors age 55+ gather, is in a quiet neighborhood at the southern corner of Fairfax City. Its members, who live in Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and beyond, consider it one of the best-kept “secrets” in Fairfax.
Lately known as one of Fairfax’s hottest pickleball haunts, the center offers many activities, classes, and trips. However, while members enjoy these amenities, the true draw to this cozy facility is the community.
“It’s a good place to be,” said member Peggy Bullocks. “It’s nice to have a place to come to, especially after you have retired, and you want to get away, you know, just meet people.” She enjoys the informational seminars “to keep your mind busy, stay fresh, socialize, know what’s happening in the community … there’s a little something for everyone.”
Member Janice Miller said, “We like hanging out. It’s like school: pickleball, cards, friendship.”
Zinta Rogers Rickert, another member, said that after spending years around Fairfax City with her growing children, she is now spending time for herself at the center.
The center’s broad appeal and membership “builds community not only within the center, but so many members are from the county, it’s building a sense of community with them as well — and that leads to people thinking, and becoming friends, and looking at larger issues,” said Tom Ross, a member of the Fairfax City Council and Senior Center who also serves as the council representative to the Village in the City Advisory Board. The center’s broad sense of community also connects members to other programs, he said, like Fairfax Village in the City.
Senior Center Director Anne Chase said a number of members who have recently lost spouses told her the center is like their “second home,” and if not for the center, “they would just fall apart.”
Ross said the center’s magic is “its sense of community, people caring about each other, getting to know one another, sharing stories, sharing experiences, playing together — but also just listening to one another, something that’s really lacking in today’s world.”
These connections run deep: recently, euchre players noticed one of their regulars (who is in his 90s) hadn’t been around for a while, so the group checked up on him. (He’s okay.)
The center busts a lot of senior “myths,” starting with who should be a member.
“You don’t have to be retired to come enjoy the Senior Center,” said Chase. “You just have to be 55. Many of the younger members who are still in the workforce take time off work to take a trip or participate in an activity.” Members range in age from 55 into their 90s.
What can you do at the Senior Center? A lot: play bocce, knit, join a book club, share your experiences in the military, let out your inner artist, get IT help for your tablet or phone — and the list goes on. In fact, with so many options, the center began programming events and classes in the afternoon.
Members not only attend activities but often lead them. This allows programs to evolve organically to meet the changing needs of members, Chase said. Member Shana Wallace launched a euchre group, whose players sometimes bring their own cards.
Efren Strain wanted to share his love of music by playing his guitar and leading a sing-along. When he mentioned this goal on NextDoor, someone suggested the Senior Center. He became a member, and now the Air Force veteran leads 4Fun Singers on Tuesday afternoons and provides lyrics of 200 songs that span decades and generations.
Tuning his guitar before a recent sing-along, Strain observed that singers grow more confident the more they sing — but “the purpose of this group is not really about singing. It’s about expressing, and relieving stress, and enjoying, and reminiscing, being together.”
Another popular program is Lunchtime Learning, where you lunch with friends while learning something new: estate planning, first aid, how to understand and enjoy watching football, and more. Members suggest topics and often lead the presentations.
Activities provide ample opportunity for seniors to socialize on their own terms, said fitness instructor Darlene Wujkowski. Some of her students live alone and don’t often meet or encounter other people, she said, and her class Sit & BFIT “lets you do what feels comfortable to you.”
Fairfax seniors can stay as active as they wish with a variety of activities in the game room, sports facilities, and fitness classes. The center participates in the Senior Olympics. An onsite fitness room and trainers for hire help meet fitness goals.
“These seniors are active and engaged,” said Kris Titus, Parks & Recreation operations manager. “They like to see a wide range of activities…. I don’t think I’ve met a slow-paced senior here.”
Membership is free for Fairfax City and Fairfax County residents. Others pay $50 per year, or a $5 fee for guests or to drop in. (Please provide a valid ID to confirm eligibility.) Some trips and activities have additional fees.
New members have their own “meet and greet” at 12:30 p.m. on the first Friday of the month.
Getting to the center isn’t an obstacle: members can use Fastran, a transit service, to travel to and from the center (with approval). Senior Center members who drive receive parking passes. The center recently provided shuttle service from a satellite parking location during parties and special events, and anticipates expanding the service in the fall; check with the center for details.
Discover the Young at Heart Senior Center for yourself! The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (excluding holidays).
Info: fairfaxva.gov/seniorcenter, 703-273-6090
