By Theresa Goffredo, Herald Writer
If you want to be impressed by Northshore Senior Center, just take a look at the fall catalogue.
This is no newsletter. Oh, no.
This catalogue is as thick as any community college catalogue and is filled with events, activities, programs and other information from Page 1 to 71.
The catalog speaks volumes about what Northshore has to offer its seniors.
Just flip through the pages and you’ll find that, this fall, there will be a new Northshore Alzheimer’s Cafe, a social support group for those touched by the disease. You will also learn about a wide variety of activities and classes, the $10 Shape Up Campaign, the option of getting your hair done at Tootsie’s Parlor, that the Northshore billiards room recently refurbished its tables, and so much more.
Northshore Senior Center is based in Bothell but has program locations in Mill Creek, Woodinville, Kenmore and Kirkland.
One of the upcoming events that new Northshore executive director Cindy Burdell wanted to tout is the Nov. 11 Veterans Day Concert with music provided by the Veterans Day Band.
Burdell said it’s important to keep veterans in mind in terms of services they may need “as more and more people are coming back home with more and more difficulties.”
Another program Burdell is proud of is the Northshore Health &Wellness Center Wranglers, which offers activities for people of all ages who might have intellectual, cognitive or developmental disabilities, and for their families and caregivers.
Burdell is also proud of Northshore’s Family Caregiver Program, which offers programs on stress relief, brain fitness and how to connect with community resources.
Burdell was a caregiver herself for a long time, so the program is close to her heart.
“I’ve been to one of each of the events, and it’s great to see the joy and happiness on the people’s faces who are in these programs,” Burdell said.
Even though Northshore has many offerings, Burdell said future tweaking of programs could occur as more and more baby boomers join the ranks of senior center membership.
“Will senior centers look different when boomers are starting to take advantage?” Burdell asked. “Do they have different needs or proclivities? Should we have a few more classes in the early evening and on weekends for people who are working?”
Burdell said she hasn’t seen a baby boomer rush at Northshore yet, with the average age of members holding steady at 75 and up.
But, Burdell said, everybody in the senior business is talking about this boomer population.
“It’s fascinating to me, what seniors will be facing,” Burdell said. “Hopefully we’ll get a bunch of people advocating for the needs of seniors.”
Learn more
Northshore Senior Center: 10201 East Riverside Drive, Bothell; 425-487-2441; www.northshoreseniorcenter.org. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday; 8:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
