By: Heidi Kirk
Arkansas is meeting milestones with vaccination rollouts, and one vulnerable population is starting to transition back to normal.
After a year of missing birthday bashes and bingo games, Helen Roderick is one of many senior citizens who received their COVID-19 vaccines and are gathering together again for the first time in over a year.
The Springdale Senior Center serves as a safe space for many people and is opening up after they closed their doors last march because of the pandemic.
The center offers many activities for seniors, including field trips, potlucks, and game nights.
“We are doing the bingo today and lunch which is one of my favorites,” said Roderick.
With many senior citizens being isolated, the center provides a place for community building.
Julia Moore is another senior citizen that has been coming to the center for seven years.
“I felt like part of me had died because I didn’t get to see my friends,” said Moore.
Though the pandemic took a year from their lives, these seniors are making up for lost time by attending reopening events.
The senior center is slowly opening back up and will open at full capacity to the public on June 4.