PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) –Papillion's 55 Plus Club holds group fitness classes, art classes and plans trips to different places across the metro to help older people in the community stay active and connect with others.
- The club is located at Papillion Landing
- The club is open to anyone in the metro area 55 and older
- The club has activities and events every day of the week
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The winter season and the holidays can be a lonely time for some, but Papillion’s 55 plus is combating adult loneliness through fitness and events.
"Coming here is a really good source of comradery, we get to know each other, and we have a lot of fun,” said 55 plus club member Candace Dyer.
Dyer her Friday morning line dancing with her other friends in the Papillion 55 plus club, something that she said keeps her active.
"This is a very safe place to come and keep moving, for me that was very important. I didn’t want to lose my physical ability, so I had to get involved,” Dyer said.
The club connects older people in the community and helps create friendships, something that Donna Montelaegre, Senior Services supervisor said can be difficult, especially during this time of the year but the club makes it easier.
"The holidays do bring up the isolation and loneliness being by themselves and actually that's an issue year around for some seniors so providing the 55 plus club to them has them create friendships and socializations,” Montelaegre said.
And Dyer said she had built a community through the club.
"We get to know each other which is great, and we see each other outside the landing, and when someone is not here, we notice and it's nice to be thought about,” she said.
The club has group fitness classes like chair volleyball, art classes, bingo, and sometimes the group take trips to different places in the metro area.
It is open to everyone in the metro area that is 55 or older.
Montelaegre says she knows some community members may be cautious about joining but encourages them to stop by and meet the other in the group.
"They really take ownership of this place, and they love being here, so they want to share it with other people,” she said.
The club has activities going on every day of the week for neighbors interested in joining.
