Los Altos Senior Center Enhances Recreation Program

With the appointment of a new recreation specialist, the Los Altos Senior Center is offering a vibrant array of activities for area seniors. Cheri Anderson, who previously served as an interim coordinator for the senior center, is now in charge of all recreational activities at the program.

Los Altos Senior Center provides services to hundreds of Los Altos/Los Altos Hills residents aged 50 and over. Types of recreational activities currently provided include educational classes and lessons, movie screenings, and day trips. The program’s home base is the Hillview Community Center, and other activities are offered at the Grant Park center.

In a recent interview with Los Altos Online, Anderson described some of the steps she has already taken to improve the recreation program.

“I was given the opportunity to add a bit of change to the center,” Anderson noted. “So what I did is, I created – with the help of staff – new classes, new activities and remodeled, in a sense, the center by way of adding more colorful items like a garden outside the center.”

Some of the touches she has added are subtle, such as changing furniture placement to improve the flow of conversation. But more ambitious changes are ahead. She plans to create a fitness program for seniors and to design activities that will attract younger seniors to the center.

One new recreational activity that has already been added is pickleball, a racket sport that has caught on well with seniors at the center. It provides both physical exercise and a chance for lively socialization among participants.

Next week, the center is hosting a Picnic in the Park. The event, located at Patriot’s Corner in Shoup Park, will provide box lunches and socializing time for participants. The cost per person is $15 for members or $20 for guests. Call 650-947-2797 to sign up.

Cheri Anderson’s goal is to create an environment that leads people to say, “Oh, I like that. I’m going to go there again.” So far, she seems off to a good start!

The Los Altos Senior Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and is located at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Avenue. A drop-in program operates from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is located in Grant Park at 1575 Holt Avenue. For additional information, check out the Los Altos senior recreation web page or its Facebook page, or call 650-947-2797.

NOTE: Photo of pickleball players featured on Los Altos Senior Center Facebook page.