Updates and Announcements
With extreme joy and gratitude to our dear friend, Edwin English, we offer this property to benefit The Thompson Senior Center.
Eddie was a daily participant at The Thompson and over many year became like dear family to patrons and staff. He gifted his property to The Thompson in his estate at his passing. With love and appreciation we thank him and treasure his memory. For more about the sale of this 3BD/1BA home in West Woodstock, please contact Deanna at 802-457-3277 or djones@thompsonseniorcenter.org
March for Meals: The Power of Food
As The Thompson Senior Center winds down the March celebration of Meals on Wheels, we remember Mark Strand’s poem celebrating the memory of his mother’s pot roast, a stanza of which is quoted below.
These days when there is little
to love or to praise
one could do worse
than yield
to the power of food.
Meals on Wheels is about a lot more than delivering nutritious meals – though of course that’s the core of the program. As importantly, Meals on Wheels is about connecting the people of our community. Enjoying a meal is one of the most basic human pleasures and one of the most important social bonds people can share. While we have not broken bread with the Meals on Wheels participants we deliver to, we have shared their enjoyment of the rich smells of the meals, have reminisced with them about how our own parents would have prepared that dish and about the joy of sitting down to the table with loved ones. And sometimes participants have gifted us with cookies, cupcakes or candy to bring home to share with our family and friends.
The Meals on Wheels program, delivering food that nourishes the body and the spirit, is made possible by the generosity of the many community members who support The Thompson Senior Center. We give special thanks to the Rotary Club of Woodstock for dedicating the proceeds of their annual gala to the Meals on Wheels program and to the Woodstock Farmers Market and their patrons, who have contributed to the Meals on Wheels via the ongoing roundup campaign.
If you or someone you know would like to learn about receiving Meals on Wheels, or to volunteer to deliver Meals on Wheels, contact Siobhan Wright at (802) 457-3277 or swright@thompsonseniorcenter.org
To help support The Thompson Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels and other programs, please go to the Donate page on our website – https://www.thompsonseniorcenter.org/donate/
For those who may be concerned about continued federal funding for Meals on Wheels, such funding is currently believed to be secure through September of this year. But please advocate with your Federal and State government representatives to continue funding Meals on Wheels and other programs that help our older community members maintain their well being, independence and vital role in the life of our towns.
The Thompson Senior Center March for Meals Committee:
Mary Bourgeois
Susan Ford
Beth Harper
Janet English
Roger Logan
Siobhan Wright
Jen Bloch
Cory van Gulden
Deanna Jones
A Special Thank You to our Fabulous
Gala Sponsors and Donors!
Vermont Standard covers the Thompson renovation. Read here
Building our Future Together
We’re making progress towards our long-term goal of a larger building to accommodate the growing needs of the communities we serve. If you’ve been to the Center in the past year, attended our Annual Meeting, or a monthly advisory meeting, you know we’ve outgrown our kitchen and too often experience waiting lists for lunches and programs. You’ve also likely seen our living room filled with lunch guests, or waited in the library for the only conference room to be ready for the next program. We’re bursting at the seams and it’s wonderful, but the time has come to create a better, more accommodating space to meet the needs we’re already experiencing and increase our capacity to be ready for the growth in our older population in the next 10 years.
The first thing you can expect to see in late July or early August is a new ramp installed on the right side of our building nearest to the front porch. This will be for dropping off and picking up people who need to use a walker or wheelchair and avoid the stairs. Parking will be in our main lot and Thompson staff can assist with parking, if needed. The timeline for the rest of the project is still being determined, but we anticipate 15 months from start to finish.
The most important thing to know is that we will continue to provide meals and programs throughout the project. We will have a period of time when we need to prepare meals offsite and host programs in other locations, but we will communicate that in advance when the exact timing is known. Meals, programs, and all aging at home support will continue throughout our renovation.
Please be in touch with Deanna Jones, Executive Director, with any questions at 802-457-3277 or djones@thompsonseniorcenter.org

NEW! Aging at Home Membership Card

“I called the first 6 places on the list the hospital gave me, and I couldn’t find a caregiver that comes to Pomfret.” “I just bought a shower chair.” “I couldn’t find anyone to install my air conditioner and it was so hot.” “I didn’t know The Thompson did that.” “I wish we had called you first.”
These are phrases and situations that we’re trying to prevent from happening with our new Aging at Home membership cards. Made to look similar to your Medicare or insurance card so you’ll think of The Thompson when a question arises, each registered participant of The Thompson will be receiving a card. You can refer to it yourself or even share it with your provider or family to let them know that you have The Thompson as a resource for any aging at home need or referral.
Beginning in June, you can pick up your card when you’re at The Thompson or expect one in the mail by the end of the month. Our Aging at Home Resource Manager, Shari, and all of the staff are waiting to hear from you with any questions. (802) 457-3277 or sborz@thompsonseniorcenter.org.
Tips to Avoid Scams and Fraud – Be Aware and Be Informed
Scams and fraud attempts are on the rise and can happen to anyone. Learn how to protect yourself.
As of early June, Attorney General T.J. Donovan is warning Vermonters about a new variation of the family emergency scam in which scammers are demanding that cash be handed over in person to a “courier.” By presenting a fake emergency in which their loved one needs help getting out of trouble, scammers pressure panicked family members, including grandparents, into acting before they can realize it’s a scam. Until recently, scammers took a hands-off approach in collecting money, demanding gift cards, wire transfers, or virtual payments. Now, the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) is receiving reports that scammers are enlisting “couriers” to collect cash directly from unsuspecting family members at their homes to resolve the fake emergency. Vermonters who receive these calls should resist the urge to act immediately and take steps to verify the caller’s identity.
“These scenarios are designed by scammers to be emotional and high pressure,” said Attorney General Donovan. “If you are presented with this type of scenario—pause, hang up the phone, and call a friend or family member to verify. Do not give money to someone coming to your home. Instead, call local law enforcement and the Consumer Assistance Program to identify and report the scam.”
If you or someone you know has lost money to this scam, contact law enforcement and report the scam to CAP at 1-800-649-2424. Learn more about family emergency scams by watching CAP’s Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam video and reviewing steps to verify at https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/family-imposter/ and attend our upcoming program on July 21.
CAP advises Vermonters to slow down and follow a plan to not get scammed. Use the SLOW method in urgent situations.

Information taken in part from www.ago.vermont.gov