Crawford County Council on Aging getting ready for a return to ‘normalcy’

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BUCYRUS — Just because activities have been limited at the Crawford Council on Aging during the COVID-19 pandemic, doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had.

Activities coordinator Courtney Moody said there are big plans this month to keep seniors happy and entertained. Because the center has been closed, indoor activities have been postponed, but this month they are offering some outdoor and virtual activities.

“We’ve decided to do some things outside since we can’t bring the seniors inside,” Moody said. “The first one is our parking lot concert with Harvey and Friends, a local band that has been coming to the senior center about once a month. I thought that would be great to bring them in.”

The band will perform up front while seniors are invited to park their cars in the parking lot to watch the show. People can walk to the venue and can sit outside, too. Moody said they would have a few outside chairs available. The concert is Wednesday, June 24 at 1 p.m. .

The Crawford County Council on Aging is at 200 South Spring St.

Virtual bingo is another activity planned this month.

“This is a trial run so if it goes well enough and we have a lot of participation, we might try it again,” she explained. “We’re going to do virtual bingo through myfreebingocards.com. They came about during the coronavirus to try and offer some ways to have activities for friends and other groups online.”

Moody said on the day of virtual bingo, which will start at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 26, there will be a link on the Crawford County Council on Aging Facebook page and whoever wants to play will clink that link and be randomly assigned a bingo card. She said they can mark the bingo card online or they can print it out and mark it by hand.

“I’ll be calling through a Facebook Live video and if someone calls out ‘bingo’ I can look up any card number and it will show me if that card has a bingo or not,” she said. “We’re limiting it to 30 participants just to see how it works.”

She said there will be no prizes for the virtual bingo trial run.

Moody hopes the center can open up next month and is working on a calendar of activities — inside and outside — just to be safe.

“That’s going to look different from any calendar of activities we’ve had before,” she said. “Were looking at the day we can open up to have kind of an open house so people can come in and get acquainted with what changes we’re going to have. Right now, we’re not certain about all the changes, or if we’re even going to be able to open up in July.”

She said possible changes include limited open hours, and limiting the number of people in the building or who can take part in the activities.

“We’ll have to space people out and look at programs and activities so that people aren’t sharing many tools. They’ll have their own set to complete the project so they aren’t passing germs or anything.

“I’m also trying to schedule at least one outdoor event each week next month. If we can’t bring anybody in, we can still do something outside,” she said.

Moody said the meal program at the council of aging has been ongoing during the pandemic. Meals are still being delivered and those people who usually came inside for a congregate meal or are doing a ‘grab and go’ can still pull up outside the building and get their mealslike a drive-thru service.

“I’ve heard from some of our seniors that they are more than ready to come back in here and to get back to some sense of normalcy,” Moody added. “They’re ready to have some fun, and this place is definitely the place for fun.”

Courtesy photo
Bingo has always been a popular event at the Crawford County Council on Again, but with the Spring Street center still closed, plans have been announced for a virtual bingo game on June 26.
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2020/06/web1_COABingo_oldphotoJanuary2020.jpgCourtesy photo
Bingo has always been a popular event at the Crawford County Council on Again, but with the Spring Street center still closed, plans have been announced for a virtual bingo game on June 26.

Courtesy photo

Arts and crafts are usually on the calendar at the Council on Aging in Bucyrus. As staff and centers await the OK to open the center back up, plans are made for how to have arts, crafts and other events in the future and adhere to health and social distancing guidelines at the same time.

https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2020/06/web1_thumbnail_COAPainting_oldphoto.jpgCourtesy photo

Arts and crafts are usually on the calendar at the Council on Aging in Bucyrus. As staff and centers await the OK to open the center back up, plans are made for how to have arts, crafts and other events in the future and adhere to health and social distancing guidelines at the same time.

Unsure of an opening date, outdoor concerts, virtual bingo are on June calendar

By Jodi Myers

Galion Inquirer

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