Forever Young January 2022

FEATURE

“Make it a wonderful day” at Mar-Bon Social Club STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE A. SMYCZYNSKI

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few years ago, sisters Victoria Pope and Laurie Pope-Greco sought a small day program to provide activities and socialization for their elderly mother. When they couldn’t find a program that fit her needs, they started one themselves. Mar-Bon Social Club, named after the sisters’ mother, Mary, and late father Boniface is Western New York’s first and only social club exclusively for seniors. Originally set to open in April 2020, until…well, you know, the club finally opened on a limited basis in October 2020 with a maximum of about fifteen to

twenty attendees daily. Its motto? “Make it a wonderful day.” Mar-Bon is geared toward seniors who don’t get out much but want to stay active and socialize. “There are some members who were initially hesitant to come,” Pope-Greco shares. “However, once they got here, they really enjoyed it.” While

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Sisters Victoria Pope and Laurie Pope-Greco own and operate Mar-Bon Social Club.

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all Mar-Bon’s current members are women, men are encouraged to join. The only membership stipulations are independent medication administration and restroom use, and daily attendance costs less than in-home companion care. The club

is clean and comfortable; surfaces and floors are cleaned and vacuumed daily, and hand sanitizer is available in abundance. The club follows all state health and safety protocols. A typical day begins coffee and snacks in the sitting area, where