Pearl Black was all smiles as she got her blood pressure and blood sugar checked last week by a nurse from the Richland Public Health. Black is a member of the “Yes We Can” senior group, which meets weekly to give people over age 60 a place to go, people to interact with and activities to keep them busy.
“I like (the screenings) because it helps us keep tract of our numbers between our doctor’s appointments,” said Black.
The “Yes We Can” seniors meet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, said site manager Mary McDonald. There is a spiritual hour every Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. as well.
In addition to monthly health screenings, the seniors go on trips, play cards, make crafts, and bring in food to eat and fellowship with each other, she said. The seniors also play games on the Wii video game console which encourages motion and exercise. An end of the month birthday celebration is also given with cake and ice cream for all those who had a birthday in that month.
Brenda Norris also got her blood pressure and blood sugar checked. She moved to the area from South Carolina last December.
“It takes me out of my house because I live alone,” said Norris of what she likes most about coming to the senior center, housed at the Mary McLeod-Bethune Intervention and Enrichment Center (MBIE), 271 Hedges St., Mansfield. “There’s a group that comes in about 1 p.m. and we play (card game) Bid Whist. We are always finding a reason to eat besides lunch every day. It’s just something to do.”
Norris said she enjoys the health screenings and looks forward to them every month.
The “Yes We Can” seniors formed in 2010 but are really an extension of The Friendship Center, which was a senior citizen group who started meeting back in the late 70s. The group has transcended over time, generations and buildings. The current group is its own independent entity, McDonald said, receiving no monies from any state or federal program.
“We take care of ourselves,” she said.
McDonald said the seniors’ motto comes from Philippians 4:13 from the Bible, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“We can do whatever it is we want to do,” she said. “The verse suggests that it’s all possible.”
Most of the women who come to the senior center are widows and live alone, McDonald said. “This helps enhances their ability to live alone.”
She said the three day interaction with other people of like age and mind is sometimes the only interaction the seniors will get on a weekly basis.
“They look forward to coming together, fellowshipping, sharing, enjoying each other’s company,” McDonald said.
Follow Angel Ross-Taylor on Twitter @angelnichole222
