WEST BEND — If you close your eyes, place both hands on your head, and think of the words "senior center," what's the first thing that comes to mind?
When TMJ4's Sydni Eure met Paula Hader on Wednesday, she first mentioned that exercise. After pausing for a moment, Paula continued by sharing that people always admit they have ideas of a nursing home. Then, she leaned in, looked Sydni in the eyes, and said, "That is not us."
Paula is the executive director of the West Bend Senior Activities Center. She hopes to break the association between "senior centers" and "nursing homes."
"The senior center here continues to grow and we’re thriving," said Paula. "I’ve been director here now for eight years, and the senior center has transformed into an activity center for 50-plussers."
The Senior Activities Center is nestled away inside Kettlebrook Church off West Washington Street in West Bend. Paula said they've spent 58 years encouraging seniors to re-envision new purpose for life after retirement. It's exactly the kind of hidden gem we hope to discover at our" Let's Talk" Listening Sessions.
“We are the only unique activity center for 50-plussers in the entire southeastern Wisconsin, and so our programming is high-quality programming from anything for health and wellness as well as lifestyle activities and events," said Paula. "Part of our mission statement is community involvement, and so we have at least 1,000 participants here, and we’re able to tap into them to help us do volunteer work in the community as well as help us with our fundraisers."
TMJ4 will host "Let's Talk: Washington County" on Thursday. It's our chance to meet more people like Paula and hear all about what matters most to your communities. Paula said she had the event penciled in her calendar for a while and said it was the opportunity she was looking for to get the word out about the program.
"Absolutely, positively I’m planning on coming down to Husar’s, and I’m looking forward to meeting all the TMJ personnel and associates," said Paula. "It was a friend and somebody on our advisory board who had not sent me once but twice a picture of the program on TV and then the promotion on TV. She sent that to me and said, 'I think you should go and talk a little bit more about the center.'"
Watch: Sydni Eure previews our Let's Talk Washington County event:
Paula said community connection opportunities like "Let's Talk" mean a lot to her and the community she's called home her entire life.
"What’s not to love about West Bend is my story. I was born and raised in the area, so I don’t have any idea or any desire to go anywhere else," said Paula. "It just warms my heart and soul, and honestly, when people come to help or donate any type of time, talent, treasure, resource, or any way they can help support us, it not only warms my heart but indirectly the hearts of so many others."
Maybe you have a business or an organization just like Paula. Whatever it is, we want to learn more about it. Tell us what’s going well, what’s not, and anything else we should know about living in Washington County at Husar's in West Bend this afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m.
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