Hustle and Bustle, Senior-Style

By Lauren Alejo

The ballroom is filled with seniors dressed in T-shirts and workout pants who squeeze in their weekly aerobic exercise class bouncing along to LMFAO’s I’m Sexy and I Know It.

In the kitchen, Lindy Kehler commands a small army of volunteers who rush to prepare the day’s lunches for the Meals on Wheels program.

The Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower Community Center is anything but retiring on a Thursday morning, thanks to some of the community's most active members: seniors.

Red and blue ice chests filled with healthy lunches cover the counter, waiting to be delivered to the homes of the area's senior citizens by noon.  

“We provide services to help seniors stay active, socialized and healthy in their homes,” says Kehler, director of Age Well Senior Services in Rancho Santa Margarita (located in the community center).

Active is an apt word to describe both Kehler and the seniors who participate in the community center events.  From monthly “Twighlight Dinners” that feature music, dinner and dancing to computer classes and tax services, Kehler keeps the community center calendar full of events for a variety of different interests.

There is always something that the seniors of Rancho Santa Margarita can participate in.

One of the most popular events is the Coffee Talk Bar, open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every weekday. Typically, about two dozen seniors attend.  

The coffee bar features coffee, pastries, lunch and—best of all—good conversation.

It’s easy to see the sense of community that has developed among attendees. Most walk over from the senior development center across the street while others drive from longer distances within the city. 

As noon rolls around, people begin to trickle through the doors for lunch. One of them, Jerry Priscaro, has volunteered and attended the community center for the past eight years. While the exercise and computer classes are his favorites, he also delivers the musical talent for special occasion events such as the Christmas and Valentine's Day dinners.  

“I sing Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra,” Priscaro says as he makes his way towards a group of his friends.  

Soon the coffee bar room is filled with banter and laughter.  

“Why are you sitting all the way over there? Come sit with us!” someone calls out to a lady in the corner.  

Russell Bitner, one of the senior attendees, pauses mid-conversation to share the simple secret of the community center’s success.

“The people are really nice here," he said. "People are like family.”