I hope that the decision-makers see the wisdom of returning to a five-day week at the Southbury Senior Center.
Experts have noted that seniors need exercise, friendly interactions, and a supportive community in order to live fully and well for as long as possible.
If the Senior Center is closed on Friday and we have a Monday holiday, some Seniors are denied activity and access to bus transportation (which is another chance to socialize) for four days in a row. If the Center closes on a Thursday, as it often does to offer a special event, then access is denied for most – five days in a row.
Weekends are the loneliest stretch of time for many seniors who do not have family nearby. Please don’t make this lonely and slow downtime longer than necessary. Winter is a particularly difficult time to be alone at home – the days are short, and the sidewalks are slippery.
It is understandable for the staff to desire a four-day work week. Should a community service agency make decisions based on the desires of the staff or its clientele?
Is there room for compromise? In the summer, the weather is better for seniors to get out and walk. Might the Senior Center close only on Fridays in July and August? Could the staff choose to be off Monday OR Friday, giving them a four-day week but keeping the Center open for five days?
I trust that First Selectman Manville and the Board of Selectmen will listen to the views of their constituents and vote to return the Senior Center to a five-day week.
— Monica Pullano
Southbury, CT
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