Bolton Senior Center

Prime Time: Online
Wednesday July 7, 2021
Keep In Touch! (860) 647-9196

Director: Carrie Concatelli, MSW


Administrative Assistants: Karen Frost & Pam Wentworth


Program Coordinator: Stephanie Crane
Director’s Note

Dear Senior Center Friends,

I know many of you are eagerly reading this week to find out if there is an official announcement. While we have never actually “closed” this entire time, we shut our doors to in-person activities on Friday, March 13, 2020. We are happy to tell you we do have an official opening date. Please check out the Senior Center Status for all of the important details.

In addition, in this issue we are highlighting two of the very best and worst things about this year as we reflect on how far we have come during the last 17 months.

As an aside, our thoughts are with those impacted by the recent vandalism at Wolcott Senior Center. We know how devastating that was for them to have such a special place harmed. It should make all of us even more thankful for the environment we do have here together. 

Stay Safe,

Carrie

p.s. As you countdown the last few days, in the meantime, you can still ring the doorbell or talk to staff, request items from the Food Pantry, schedule transportation, or borrow books and puzzles during any open hours (Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) 
Senior Center Status

Our official “Reopening Date” is scheduled for Monday, July 19!

At this time the Town of Bolton is requesting all visitors wear a mask in the building. Any update to the request will be clearly posted at the front door and in the lobby.

The front doors will be open and all areas of the building are accessible for our regularly scheduled activities and any other visits or use of materials such as the puzzle, computers, etc. Additional programming will be restarted in the fall.

Once you enter the lobby please be aware we have a brand new sign-in station. You will be asked to sign in using your phone number, then select the activities you are attending. Staff will be available to help you get acclimated to it or to add your phone number if it needs to be updated.

We expect you will notice a few changes around the building that we think you will enjoy. Most of note is a wonderful addition to our Senior Center Library area. This very special area was made possible by memorial contributions from friends and family members of Ellie Freddo. 

Another big change is the Food Pantry has now been moved to the small room. Visitors will be welcomed to select items during open hours three days a week and by appointment or delivery at all other times.

Our transportation program has never once stopped this entire time and we credit our dedicated drivers for making this possible. Please keep in mind, until otherwise specified, our transportation counts as “public transportation” so we are following the Governor’s request to mask. There are no limitations to the number of riders, however, we are currently low on drivers so there may be some temporary ride limitations due to sheer availability. Please keep this in mind when calling in advance to schedule your transport.

We know you look forward to coming in and we look forward to many fun times together again. And please know that all staff will continue to be available through phone or email for those who feel more comfortable conducting business in that manner. 
A Thank You

One program that you will notice is not returning to the calendar is our Hatha Yoga Class. Our dedicated instructor, Susan Schardt, taught countless Hatha Yoga classes for many years. She has decided to take a much deserved “retirement” from teaching to pursue other interests. We thank Susan for all of the positive experiences she brought to her classes and we know she will remain a wonderful part of our community in other ways. Thanks Susan and many best wishes! 

For yoga fans, we still have our popular Chair Yoga class and if there is great interest in another Hatha Yoga class or another form of exercise we will pursue selecting a new instructor at a later date.
Budget Referendum

The Town of Bolton third budget referendum will be held on Tuesday, July 13 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. All voting will take place at Ryba Hall (St. Maurice Parish Center) located at 32 Hebron Road. Call the Senior Center if you need a ride to vote!
Our Friends Who Flew Away

During our time away from each other, we lost many friends who were members of our community. This occurred during a time when we weren’t together to support each other. Each time we heard of a passing we included them in our “In Remembrance” section of the newsletter as a small way to honor the ways that they were part of us. 

We knew at the beginning of this that the hardest part would be coming back together and having special people missing from our activities. Unfortunately we were right that our community would feel this change of seasons especially hard. Over the course of the last 17 months we have lost over two dozen people.

We have created a “Wall of Remembrance” at the Senior Center for you to view upon reopening. It is a series of butterflies to symbolize all of our friends who flew away too soon. We tried to include everyone we could, but we encourage you to let us know if you would like to add a butterfly for a loved one that was special to you. 

We are considering other possibilities for a small but more permanent memorial and would love any suggestions. 

Farewell by Anne Bronte
Farewell to thee! but not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of thee:
Within my heart they still shall dwell;
And they shall cheer and comfort me.

Note: If you lost a loved one due to Covid-19 call 844-684-6333 (Monday—Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) to apply for the FEMA Funeral Assistance Benefit.  


Bolton Senior & Social Services would like to give an enormous thank you to the following groups and individuals who made monetary and food pantry contributions to help Bolton residents during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We are truly humbled by the generosity of our community!
Summer Concerts

Join in the fun at the Bolton Recreation Department’s Concerts on the Green!

Call for Applications for Grant Funds

The following is a message from the Bolton Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Board.

Bolton Greater Together Community Fund Issues Open Call to Apply for Grant Funds.

In 2019, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving established $100,000 community funds for each of the 29 towns in the Foundations region, which includes the town of Bolton. The purpose of the community funds is to support residents in taking ownership around the needs in their towns, encourage broad and inclusive civic engagement and anchor the Hartford Foundation in each town. In 2020, Bolton’s Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee was selected. The list of current members is available at www.hfpg.org/boltoncf.

Bolton’s Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee has released its first open call for project proposals. Up to $5000 will be awarded in grant funds to one or more proposals. All projects must benefit the residents of Bolton. For further details on project guidelines and how to apply, please visit www.hfpg.org/boltonct. Project applications or grant proposals will be accepted until September 1, 2021.

The community funds program also creates an opportunity for organizations and individuals to make tax-deductible contributions to any of the 29 Community Funds to support their towns. There have been a number of contributions to other Greater Together Community Funds and all donations are welcome both large and small.
 
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 29 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $849 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit https://www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.


It is always nice to sit down with Town Historian John Toomey Jr. A few weeks ago Carrie joined him and UR Community Cares Director Michelle Puzzo on camera at CVC for the CVC Interviews series. Check out the video to hear more about the Town’s partnership with UR Community Cares for community deed for seniors as well as many volunteer opportunities for all ages and abilities. Carrie also speaks about the fantastic sense of community service that makes Bolton a great town. Special thanks to John Toomey Jr. for hosting and to both Melanie Merkel and Nick Lavigne from CVC.
Bolton Senior Center July & August Calendar

Check out our calendar of events! See you soon!

-Bolton Senior & Social Services Staff