Senior Center Director Rosemary Gray chats with former Neptune Mayor Joe Krimko at the Home Owners meeting. Photo by Mary Walton

By Charles Layton

Since November, when the Neptune Senior Center moved to its new location at 1607 Corlies Avenue, it has had more than 12,000 visitors.

It has also served more than 12,000 lunches in its dining room.

But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of this extremely active facility.

On Saturday, director Rosemary Gray gave the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association a thorough account of her Center’s projects and services. Those include home visits to shut-ins, fitness classes, computer classes, help with financial entitlements, free legal help with wills and trusts, transportation, free help for elderly people who are abused or exploited financially, movies, hearing testing, health screening, health insurance counseling, help with income taxes, bingo games, ceramics, mah jongg, scrabble, card games, and group outings to Monmouth Mall or to a local restaurant.

Much of this is provided by some 150 volunteers. “We could not do it without the community,” Gray said.

The Center’s services, she said, are increasing because the elderly population “is just exploding.” People over 85 are the fastest-growing segment of the population, she said. Neptune Township has more than 7,000 residents over 60 years of age, out of a total population of 28,000. In a few years, she said, Neptune will have more elderly people than school children.

That’s the main reason why, in November, the Center moved to its new, larger location at 1607 Corlies, the former Rite Aid pharmacy site.

Gray made a pitch for more people to visit the new site, either to take advantage of what’s offered there or to become a volunteer.

There is almost no end of projects. The Center has an on-going program of providing transportation. It has two vehicles with lifts for the handicapped. People can schedule food shopping trips or trips to the doctor.

If you need to borrow a wheelchair or a potty chair, the Center has such items of donated equipment on hand.

Or if you need counseling on some specific personal problem related to aging, that can be arranged. Consultations are completely confidential, Gray said.

One of the Center’s on-going services is what Gray called “phone reassurance.” Under that program, an elderly person who lives alone can phone the Center every day. If the Center fails to get a call, someone follows up to see if there is a problem.

In May, the Center’s bridge players will get 7 weeks of lessons from an expert.

Also in May, a master vegetable gardener from Rutgers will give a presentation.

Exercise and fitness programs include yoga, zumba, t’ai chi chih or just plain old stretching and toning exercises.

A group of quilters at the Center makes garments to donate to local hospitals.

And there are always games, parties and lunches to be had.

For more information, Gray suggested calling 732-988-8855 or checking the Township’s website: http://www.neptunetownship.org.