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Planning is continuing for the development of a “Forever Young” Senior Center in Gaylord.

A planning meeting for the Senior Center project was held May 27 in the community room of the new public library. Katie Rasmussen of the University of Minnesota Extension Service served as the facilitator, for the program that was sponsored by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation – PACE.

Twenty seniors participated in an exercise to learn what their ideas were for a Senior Center. Participants were instructed to write down their ideas and the future vision for a Senior Center. The ideas were then discussed in small groups. Other things discussed were who should oversee the facility and its operations, and how the center would be operated on a daily basis. Sources of funding were briefly discussed. This topic will be brought to the City Council for more discussion, according to Pat Pinske.

Tammy Stadtherr from Sibley County Faith in Action attended the meeting and will be writing a business plan for the seniors.

The idea of a Senior Citizen Center was developed as part of a town meeting initiative grant for “Communities Embracing Active Aging.”

Gaylord’s Senior Center started in the former library building. Space will be limited when city offices move into the building later this summer.

At the May 21 city council meeting, Pinske reported that the seniors are looking for a more permanent site. In the meantime, brainstorming activities are taking place and research is being done to see if grant money would be available for the project.