Willis heads a large crew of helpers at local Senior Center

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN CYNTHIA MARTENS
If the Hillsboro Senior Center were a small ocean liner, the crew and their captain would try to ensure that each day of the cruise is enjoyable for all on board.

And that’s just what happens when Senior Center manager and activities director Connee Willis captains the center’s programs for seniors 65 and older-working with her staff of five part-time employees and a large group of volunteers.

These people offer nutritional weekly meals and enjoyable activities and programs to the senior community.

As director, Willis said it’s important for someone in her position to have an outgoing personality and respect each individual.

“I think it takes someone who is interested in people and their welfare, who has creative ideas to find different activities that people might be interested in, and it takes organization,” Willis said of her position.

A teacher before moving to Hillsboro, Willis was hired as activities director in 1990 and added the title of manager to her job description in 1992.

Her two jobs include being in charge of the federally funded nutrition program and director of activities. But her ubiquitous captain’s hat reads: director of the Hillsboro Senior Center.

“This position is all the fun of teaching and none of the work-very few discipline problems and no papers to grade,” Willis said with a smile.

“It’s a lot of paper work, but a lot of fun, too.”

Willis is accountable to the North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging in Manhattan for the meal program and the Hillsboro Senior Center Board for the activities at the center.

And the meal program at the center is subsidized by the Older American’s Act.

The Senior Center is a beehive of activities throughout the week, and Willis and her crew are responsible for coordinating them.

Staff includes secretary Eunice Matz, cook Betty Gayle, assistant cook Cynthia Baize, kitchen staff Lucilla Funk and maintenance coordinator Harold Pankratz.

As director, Willis has many responsibilities, such as the following:

Overseeing the preparation of meals by the center’s staff.

Planning programs and entertainment at the center.

Scheduling van outings and overnight bus trips within Kansas and outside the state borders.

Coordinating senior and community volunteers.

Providing seniors with transportation to run errands and make appointments.

Developing a program to assist seniors with filling out technical forms.

Offering health evaluations and exercise classes.

Creating a senior newsletter.

Writing a weekly Senior Center column for two local newspapers.

Developing fund-raisers to benefit the senior program.

Five days a week, the kitchen crew prepares noon meals for 60 to 70 seniors a day. These meals are eaten in the center’s dining room or delivered to the homebound.

By the time the end of the week rolls around, the staff has prepared frozen meals for seniors in the meal program. And that helps them get through the weekend.

A dietician from the agency on aging submits menus to participating senior centers.

At the end of every month, Willis must turn in required paper work detailing the meals chosen for the month and get final approval from the dietician.

“The dietician is very strict with nutrition, which is very good,” Willis said.

At least three days a week, programs are scheduled at the center, and Willis serves as emcee. These will include guest speakers, video presentations, birthday celebrations, game days and coffees.

“When I moved here, I didn’t know anyone-so I scanned the newspapers to see who sang at nursing homes or churches, and those people would suggest other people,” Willis said.

“And now, there’s a real network of resources.”

At least once a month, Willis schedules van outings using the center van and renting a second van when necessary.

These trips include visiting places such as the Russel Stover Candies store in Abilene, the Crown-Uptown Dinner Theatre in Wichita and the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson.

Twice a year, she plans overnight bus trips which “are for fun and profit for our center,” she said.

Willis coordinated a trip to western Kansas planned for the end of May-stopping at a 1800s sheep ranch, the Grass Roots Art Museum in Lucas, a German buffet and other scenic places in that part of the country.

Other field trips have included the Rolling Hills Refuge in Salina, a visit to the Kansas Specialty Dog Service in Washington, Kan., and yearly mystery tours.

“That does take a lot of work, as far as coordination, calling and arranging everything-every break, every meal and every attraction,” Willis said.

As coordinator for senior and community volunteers, Willis organizes assignments for kitchen duties, meal deliveries and a program titled Friends I Should Help.

The kitchen volunteers and meal drivers are a part of the Meals-on-Wheels program for the homebound.

Volunteers in the FISH program provide transportation for seniors from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays.

“This is local transportation for those needing to see a doctor, shop or keep other appointments,” Willis said.

But her group of 80 to 100 volunteers also works with handyman and chore services, mailings, maintenance, decorating and tax service.

As part of an on-going effort to promote a healthy senior lifestyle, Willis plans a variety of activities, such as blood-pressure evaluations, foot care, hearing tests, exercise classes and screenings for stroke and heart-attack prevention.

Added to an already full schedule is the task of developing a weekly newsletter with the help of Matz and writing a weekly column, called Senior Scribbles, for the two local newspapers.

All of these responsibilities are part of a six-hour day, five days a week. And some activities bring her into the center in the after hours as well, such as evening meals for holidays and volunteer banquets.

Although subsidized, the senior program also counts on fund-raisers planned by Willis, such as breakfasts and soup-and-pie lunches.

As she looks to the future, Willis said the numbers involved in the program are growing and menu ideas are constantly being revised.

One future menu option might be to offer a salad-bar at the center.

“And also, we’re trying to think outside of the box for more activities to appeal to younger, retired seniors,” Willis said.

“That’s one of the fallacies-they believe this is for old people. But getting them in here to volunteer breaks that stigma quite a bit, and makes them realize this is a fun place.”

And although her ship doesn’t leave for any exotic distant ports, Willis seems to be enjoying the ride she provides.

“I love this-this is great,” she said. “It’s a good fit.”

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