HAWKINSVILLE, Ga. — In Hawkinsville, you will find a place that brings joy and excitement to those 60 years old and up.
"Out in the community, I just hear everyone talking about how excited they are that it has been opened again," said Pulaski County Senior Citizen Center assistant director DeeDee Goss.
Goss retired after working over 40 years as a medical staff secretary at the local hospital. She says dreamed of working at the center.
"I wanted to do something meaningful, something to help people," Goss said.
The Pulaski County Senior Citizen Center has been open since 1995. They always have activities, food, and community resources available to the 60+ group.
When the pandemic shut down many places, so did the center. Center director Cindy Pritchett says she was glad to open the center back up.
"I'm a people-person and I just love to come in and encourage them and to hear their stories and share my story. Just work together to grow and have socialization, friendship, and it's just all so important," Pritchett said.
Pritchett told 13WMAZ when they were closed, all they could do was pass out food to the seniors. She said the only thing opened at the center was the quilting room. Outside of that, they had to social distance. This left many of the seniors at home with nothing to do.
Some of the activities they do at the senior center include wellness seminars, playing games and making crafts, and doing sit-down exercises. Goss says she's heard from others about the need for the center since closing during the pandemic.
"Out in the community, I just hear everyone talking about how excited they are that it has been opened again," Goss said.
Joe Taylor, 96, is one of the center's newest members, and he says coming to the center is better than sitting at home with nothing to do.
"Since I've been coming, I enjoy it. Meeting different people and exercising and all, too," Taylor said.
The center is open five days a week from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pritchett says they provide meals for all their members and anyone is able to sign up and join.