“I hope the carry-in lunch will be a step back toward normal. This is an open invitation for people to come back,” Schnabl said. “We had a break for two full years. We closed April 1, 2020 on an order by the state. We reopened last March 1 but were told to avoid brining food in. We decided to renew the Friday lunches. Everybody said how much they missed it.”
Schnabl said the center provides water and lemonade and colas are available for 50-cents. The center also provides a starter of fried chicken. People are asked to bring in a dish to share with eight to ten people, preferably a meat dish or casserole.
Friday’s celebration will include a large cake being provided by the Knolls of Oxford.
In the past, the program for the first Friday of each month is a celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries for that month and he said that will resume with the first Friday in May.
The program for April 8 will be a Cleveland resident who will speak about old television sitcom series. Another popular Friday event at the center is also returning – Friday afternoon movies – which usually follow the carry-in meal and program, at about 1:30 p.m.
“I hope we will see people coming back for the welcoming event,” Schnabl said. “We are always open to people’s ideas about programs. We welcome people to share their hobbies or interests.
One popular program was a casualty of the pandemic.
The Big Band dances were discontinued during the pandemic and the band, which came here from Hamilton to play for them, relocated the program to Pohlman Bowling Lanes in Hamilton, where Schnabl called the dances “still a great event going on in the county.”
Members returning to the center will notice changes throughout the building thanks to grants and renovation work done over the past year. The Great Room has a brighter look with new flooring and lighter color of paint, replacing the pink color used in the room when it was built in the early 1980s. The office has seen the removal of the counter which had been in place for many years, replaced by a desk. Carpeting has been replaced and paintings have been hung. Work spaces have been created and clutter is being removed. A new phone system is also in place.
“Efficiency is time saved and that is time to help older adults, plus time to visit and socialize,” Schnabl said. “In the library, we plan an archival area and history items on the shelves. We thought about better ways to use the space.”
The library has seen painting and new carpeting as well as the removal of the large conference table, which was replaced by smaller tables for more people to use.
Other amenities added to the Great Room have included computer stations for those who do not have access to a computer at home, a large-screen television and more comfortable chairs.
The pool tables remain and are as popular as ever, the director said.
The large-screen TV is on the east wall with a grouping of chairs. The area is to be used for the Friday afternoon movies as well as special programs on video. He cited the example of exercise classes taught by Miami students. Videos of past classes can be used, when the students are gone such as this past week’s spring break.
The TV was used last week for a video about the city’s Comprehensive Plan – Oxford Tomorrow – to inform residents about the first public input meeting and how to submit comments in time for the second meeting in April.
The kitchen added a commercial freezer because they were serving frozen meals during the pandemic and Schnabl joked it would be great to have an ice cream social. A new dishwasher is coming soon to replace the one they had not used for two years and found it to be “limed up.”
A new air handling system was installed to better purify air in the building and one was also installed in the Adult Day Care area of the Lutheran Church.
Restroom faucets were replaced by touchless ones.
The lending closet continues to be a popular effort filling a need. They have an assortment of wheelchairs, walkers and knee scooters for loan to those who need them on a short-term basis.
Schnabl said they are grateful for grants which have funded the improvements to the center. The city budgeted some funds, and then provided money from the COVID relief funds. In November, they learned of grants available from the Ohio Department of Aging. The hitch was the money had to be spent by the end of December and that set into motion a flurry of activity, writing the grant, planning the work and getting it done.
“We got our big items. It was a stressful period, but it calmed down by mid-January,” he said.
The staff wants to see a crowd at Friday’s first carry-in meal in two years and look forward to meeting new people who are interested in learning more about what the center offers.
Meals on Wheels meals are still provided by McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital/TriHealth but are in compartmentalized serving dishes. The same meals are available Monday through Thursday at the center for $2.50. Reservations are needed by 4 p.m. the day before so they can get an accurate number to order.
The menu for the month is printed in the members newsletter, so people can choose days for the meals they prefer.
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