Young at Heart February

Young at Heart

Alpena Senior Center 2025 recap

By REAGAN VOETBERG News Staff Writer

ALPENA — Last year, the Alpena Senior Citizens Center bustled with activity, from puzzles, to card games, to exercise.

Annie Hepburn, director of the senior center, said that the programs serving food to seniors were successful last year.

The center served 73,000 meals and served around 700 clients with just meals. She said around 500 people come through the senior center regularly for activities. Within a year, the center sees about 2,000 different people.

One of the main programs is Meals on Wheels, which serves qualified seniors ages 60 and older. The program delivers food to people in the city of Alpena Monday through Friday, and people throughout Alpena county Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The longest Meals on Wheels route is 101 miles round trip, Hepburn said. The number of Meals on Wheels clients has grown over the last couple of years. Hepburn said she believes that is due to the rising cost of living and food prices.

The center serves a noon meal Monday through Friday, where se-

niors can make a suggested donation of $4.50.

The most impactful change in 2025 was improving upon the dementia program.

“We are seeing growth in our dementia programs just because there’s really no other resources,”

Hepburn said.

“For 2026 we’ll just keep enhancing the dementia program and hopefully getting it out further in the community,” Hepburn said. “I think our goal would be that…Alpena County would be really dementia educated.”

Hepburn said that agencies like the Alpena County Sheriff’s Office, Alpena Fire, Alpena Police, and the Michigan State Police are all on board with the program and can refer families or caregivers to the senior center if they need assistance.

Once a month the center hosts a memory cafe for seniors with dementia and their caregivers. It’s a socialization opportunity that helps them maintain their quality of life.

The dementia program is made possible through a grant from the Michigan Health endowment fund, Hepburn said. Her team is certified in the SPECAL method, which is used to help caregivers prompt well-being

for dementia patients.

The center also offers educational sessions on dementia to the community.

The senior center provides options for any senior in the area to make friends or participate in an activity that interests them. Organized card games take place four days a week, bingo takes place twice a month, and exercise programs three days a week. There is also a zoom book club, health clinics and informational sessions, maj jong, quilting, monthly shopping trips, and a fiber group.

The senior center and many of its programs are made possible thanks to the senior millage in Alpena County.

Hepburn said that they also have

a variety of fundraising opportunities to ensure that the programs they center offers can be sustained. The senior center staff are always applying for grants to provide new opportunities.