Vista marks 50 years since opening senior center. It’s become much more than a place for lunch. (original) (raw)

In 1974, Vista opened a senior center in the cafeteria of the old Lincoln school, at what is now the Civic Center. It was a place for seniors to gather for lunch and a game of bingo.

Over that half century since the senior center opened its doors, it became more than a place to get a healthy, home-cooked meal. It was a place to meet other folks and swap stories and not feel alone. It was a place where you could take classes, hear a concert or join a hobby club. Seniors could catch a tour bus there to travel around the state or a shuttle to get around locally.

“Many memories come to mind illustrating the importance of this kind of social interaction,” said Mary Dreibelbis, former Vista Senior Services manager, who worked for the city of Vista from 1987-2011.

“We found the home-bound seniors were often lonely. Some would call in the afternoon to chat. Unfortunately, staff did not have a lot of time to ‘chat.’ One of the home-bound seniors came up with the idea to call others. This was the inception of the Sunshine Club. Many phone friendships were fostered,” Dreibelbis said.

This year marks the 50th anniversary since the Vista began its senior services program, which has grown to dozens of clubs and activities.

“I know there were some challenging times during the pandemic so it is great to see the growth,” said Dreibelbis, who joined other Senior Services alums, staff and community members on Aug.21 at the McClellan Senior Center to celebrate.

One the most popular programs is the Culture Caravan, which gets older adults out traveling on a sightseeing bus to attractions throughout Southern California.

“They’re so grateful to get out and see things and socialize,” said Frank Rojano, who has been driving the bus for four years.

Another is the “Out and About Vista” senior transportation program that helps older adults get around and stay independent even if they don’t drive.

“We started the program from scratch and with significant help from the Senior Commission, we were able to provide shuttle rides, individual rides and taxi vouchers,” Dreibelbis said.

Rojano, who has been working for the Vista Parks & Recreation Department for 30 years, most recently as parks director, also drives the “Out and About Vista” shuttle bringing folks to the senior center for lunch and to doctor appointments and grocery shopping.

“It’s their only time to get out of the house and meet other people — they love it and I try to make it a fun ride,” Rojano said. He tells jokes and turns on music and riders sing along.

Sometimes he takes scenic routes to make the ride interesting. “It’s stimulating for their brains,” Rojano said. “Several riders like it so much, they asked to be dropped off last.”

Before the Gloria McClellan Senior Center was built in 1989 at 1400 Vale Terrace Drive, seniors also gathered at the Adobe Community Center at 161 Recreation Drive, next to the then Vista Armory, where The Wave Waterpark now is.

“Gloria McClellan (Vista’s longtime mayor) would tell the story of how she worked with a few community members in her living room to write the first RFP for federal Older Americans Act funds. This was before she was an elected official,” Dreibelbis said.

Vista was one of the first cities in the county to receive these funds, which helped to support the senior nutrition program, home-delivered meals and transportation.

In 1987, the city broke ground on the Gloria McClellan Senior Center. An “angel wing” sculpture in the building honors McClellan, who died in 2002. The building was designed with a large commercial kitchen to make meals, a 250-seat auditorium where lunch was served and a stage for entertainment. The center was later expanded to accommodate the growing number of senior programs.

“Vista was creative in monetary self sufficiency and used the kitchen to provide meals at a cost to neighboring cities’ senior nutritional programs,” said Cathy Brendel, who worked for Vista’s Parks and Recreation Department from 1978 to 2008, and served as director of the city’s Parks and Community Services Department.

The lunch program was known countywide. At one point, the food service staff prepared 800 to 1,000 meals per day, according to Dreibelis. Vista pooled resources with other cities and the Vista site was designated as a central kitchen, preparing meals for neighboring senior centers. Vista provided roughly 200 meals each day at the center during its heyday.

Today the center serves 30-90 lunch patrons daily, and more than 100 people at the special lunchtime events with entertainment.

“We have 60 active volunteers who are involved in all aspects of our programs and services,” said Susan Saito, office specialist at the senior center. The nutrition volunteer team is the largest with 22 volunteers, who plan events, help prepare meals, serve lunch and clean up.

“I found the volunteers were the ones that kept things afloat. They were willing and able to do everything from teaching classes to escorting day trips,” Dreibelis said.

Among the volunteers are local school children, who participate in the center’s intergenerational programs which bring seniors and kids together. The kids often share technology tips with the seniors.

“Like so many things in Vista, what makes senior programs special are the people who care — the staff, volunteers, and participants. It is like the story of the starfish: every individual can make a difference, even if that difference is only felt by one person,” Brendel said.

Originally Published: August 28, 2024 at 5:16 p.m.