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The Thompson Center

Your Resource to Age Well

99 Senior Lane, Woodstock, VT 05091 * (802) 457-3277

Senior Centers: Delivering Vital Connections!

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This year’s theme for national senior center month was chosen by the National Council on Aging to highlight how senior centers deliver vital connections to support older adults aging well.  This is more evident now than ever before!  Critical home delivered meals, grocery delivery, friendly check-in calls, virtual & onsite programs, and even phone Bingo have helped to keep our community members safer and happier at home during this challenging time.  Preventing social isolation is vital and a core senior center mission. While the delivery methods have changed during the pandemic, centers have succeeded in continuing to provide knowledge, programming, and resources.

The Thompson plays a vital role in our community!  Our staff, volunteers, and participants promote a positive image of aging. Together we are a vibrant, supportive senior center that thrives inside and outside of our walls and reaches far into the towns and countryside of our beautiful area.  If you’re not a regular participant or volunteer, we invite you to get engaged by trying out a class, volunteering, or checking in with staff about other opportunities to enrich your life.  

Fun Facts that show just how vital The Thompson has been these last months at keeping community members safe: 

  • Meals on Wheels served since March 16th:  5,542  (same time frame last year 3,546)
  • We’ve had 69 new recipients for home delivered Meals on Wheels!
  • Curbside take-out meals with our dining room closed:  2,710 meals to more than 300 unique individuals.
  • Hundreds of check-in calls, grocery & prescription deliveries, & virtual programs to help beat the Covid blues!

National Senior Center Month Celebration & Senior Center Volunteer Appreciation

Friday, September 25, 12:00 pm

Join us for our annual chicken BBQ and senior center month celebration – TAKE-OUT STYLE – on Friday September 25th!

Although we are operating under much different circumstances than this time last year, it will not deter us from celebrating National Senior Center month AND, our beloved Thompson Center volunteers!

These have been trying times, and we acknowledge each and every volunteer whether you were sidelined by pandemic restrictions, or jumping in to help as a new volunteer. You play a critical role in making The Thompson one of the very best senior centers around!  We have so much to celebrate!  

On Friday, September 25th our favorite guest BBQ Chef, Nate Willard, and family will be grilling the chicken and Chef Ryan will serve potato salad, coleslaw, corn bread and lemon fool on the hill with blueberries. You must RSVP, but take-out lunches will be free for all of our volunteers and raffle prizes will be drawn from all who are registered for lunch!  $5 minimum suggested donation for non-volunteers.

Thank you to all of you for your continued contribution to the success of our Center – your Center!

Please pre-register by calling The Thompson Center. We look forward to celebrating with you!

We’re excited to launch “Your virtual senior center!”

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We’re excited to officially launch “Your virtual senior center!”  With the safety of our participants in mind and the strict capacity constraints on our physical space (1 person per 200 square feet, allowing us only 15 people in the whole building!), we know that virtual programs are here to stay for the foreseeable future.  In addition to the programs we were already offering online, we’ve added some exciting opportunities through our new partnership with “Senior Learning Network.”  These LIVE programs will take us all around the country to museums and landmarks that we may never be able to visit otherwise.  You’ll still call or email the Thompson to register for the programs and we’ll send the connection information to registered participants.  Check it out here and let us know if you have any questions.  We’re also hoping to have information soon about connecting people without technology devices, so please be in touch if you’re not online and would like to be.    

Senior Learning Network Virtual Program Update:

We have had an enthusiastic response and terrific, positive feedback for our new series of virtual programs offered through the Senior Learning Network. Thanks to all those who have tuned in and gotten back to us about the programs you are enjoying. For one example, 116 tuned in to watch the August 18th program on Eleanor Roosevelt, nationwide, and we hear it was a great presentation with interaction with the speaker. Please keep watching and enjoying!

BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY:  To better protect the integrity of the Zoom program, Senior Learning Network is asking participants who have registered for a program to be aware of the following guidelines:

· Participants are advised that they will be required to have their name on their screen (no phone numbers)

· Participants will be asked what senior center they are affiliated with.

· Please do not share zoom room IDs with anyone who is not registered

For the Senior Learning Network Virtual Programs, register in advance through the Thompson to receive the Zoom link. 457-3277

“Writing a Memory” Toy and Miniature Museum

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2:00 pm

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures educates, inspires, and delights adults and children through the museum’s collection and preservation of toys and  miniatures. The museum, located in Kansas City, Missouri, contains the world’s largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one of the nation’s largest antique toy collections on public display.

THE PROGRAM- Come ready to participate!
Toys can hold some of our most cherished memories.  Join Kelly Burns, Museum Educator at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, as she shares the story of the Nettie Wells dollhouse and the special memories held by its items. Come with a memory ( picture, or actual toy!) to share!!  

“Animal Adaptations in the Yellowstone Ecosystem”

Draper Natural History Museum in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Tuesday, October 6, 2:00 pm

Animals truly are amazing! They can survive in their environments through their amazing adaptations. During this lesson, students will discover the basic habitat needs of animals, and explore how living things adapt to seasons and environments. Students will journey through four habitats in the Greater   Yellowstone Ecosystem – the alpine, forest, mountain meadow, and plains/basin environments. We will visit immersive museum exhibits that highlight animals in each of these unique habitats.

Virtual Tour from the National Museum of the Pacific War

Thursday, October 8, 2:00 pm

Come and take a virtual tour of this fabulous museum! Discover the human story of World War II in the Pacific in more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space spread over three galleries located on six acres in the heart of Fredericksburg, Texas. The National Museum of the Pacific War is the only museum in the continental U.S. solely dedicated to telling the story of WWII in the Pacific.

Virtual Tour from the National Museum of the Pacific War

Thursday, October 8, 2:00 pm

Come and take a virtual tour of this fabulous museum! Discover the human   story of World War II in the Pacific in more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space spread over three galleries located on six acres in the heart of Fredericksburg, Texas. The National Museum of the Pacific War is the only museum in the continental U.S. solely dedicated to telling the story of WWII in the Pacific.

“GOLD”!  A Virtual Tour from Columbia State Historic Park

Thursday, October 22, 2:00 pm

Columbia State Historic Park is the largest collection of gold rush era buildings in all of California. The brick buildings that date back to the late 1850s-1870s help to tell the story of the diverse merchants and miners who helped create this once booming town. Although Columbia’s population has dwindled over time, it was never a ghost town. This virtual tour takes you inside buildings and exhibits for a look at this bygone era.

TWO BONUS “MORE ABOUT ELEANOR” PROGRAMS!

WEDNESDAY, Oct 21 and THUR.,OCT 29

Back by popular demand! We have had some special requests for MORE about ELEANOR- and Jeff with the FDR Presidential Library and Museum has agreed to come back . We will send out more program details closer to the date. Please make note of these TWO Bonus Programs!

Part 1:

Wednesday, October 21, 2:00 pm

Eleanor Roosevelt: Partner in the Whitehouse

Part 2:

Thursday, October 29, 2:00 pm

Eleanor Roosevelt: Casting Her Own Shadow In the Post Whitehouse Years 

Mediterranean Night: A Journey to Provence, France

A Cook-Along-Zoom Class with the Co-Op Culinary Learning Center

September 24,  3 – 5 pm,  $10.00 per person due at registration

Provençal cuisine is high-spirited, yet simple food, which focuses on seasonal and fresh ingredients; it is the Mediterranean’s la cuisine de grand-mère. In less than two hours, we will transport you to Provence with a simple weeknight dinner that is low on fuss and high on flavor. Our main dish will be spiced-rubbed pork tenderloin with fennel, tomatoes, artichokes and olives. Suggested side dishes include a simple salad and Israeli couscous and we will start by mixing up a simple olive oil cake for dessert.  Add a glass of your favorite beverage, and this is a meal to be savored.

Join Hanover Food Co-op Food Educator Lindsay Smith for this fun and delicious cook-along class.  Recipe, directions, and zoom link instructions will be emailed two weeks prior to the class. Please pre-register by calling The Thompson Center.

BINGO at HOME with The Thompson

Friday mornings, 10:00 am

Use your phone to call in and join. Fun prizes for winners!

For a BINGO card and the call-in number, call 457-3277.

Strength, Stretch & Stability

Zoom classes will remain in effect until further notice

Led by Liz Hatfield, Certified Fitness Trainer

Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Motion is Lotion!  Now is the time to focus on ourselves. We must stay positive and strong.  In the short term, exercise can help the immune system find and deal with pathogens, and in the long term, regular exercise slows down changes that happen to the immune system with aging, therefore reducing the risk of infection.

Join this class, move your body and feel physically, mentally and emotionally better. 

Suggested Equipment:

  • Dumbbells, Soup Cans (14oz is approx. 1lb), Bag of Beans or Rice (1lb) or Filled Water Bottles
  • Dish Towel or Pillowcase
  • Two Paper plates, Rags or Furniture Gliders/Coaster (NOT RUBBER)
  • 12Plastic cups (e.g. “Solo” cups)  – 6 Red & 6 Blue – Linda Grant has left 10 sets at The Thompson in a bag if you would like to pick them up.

For information on how to access the Zoom classes, contact Liz directly at 802-522-9273 or email at ebhatfield@aol.com

Thompson’s Annual Virtual Falls Prevention Awareness Program and Self-Guided Balance Screenings

Presented by Linda Harvey, Mt Ascutney Physical Therapist

Wednesday, September 30, 1-2 pm via zoom

Are you worried about falling? Are you ready to be steady?

There are so many things you can do to stay steady and prevent a fall! 

  • Check your vision yearly
  • Pick up clutter
  • Review your medications
  • Get physically active

This virtual event will offer an informational session followed by Linda guiding participants in a self assessment for balance using the CDC-approved STEADI criteria. Please register for this event by calling The Thompson Center and you will be notified with the zoom link information. You will need a sturdy chair and comfortable clothes and shoes.

The Songs and their Stories! A Virtual Musical Performance by Rich Araldi

Tuesday, October 27, 1:00 pm via Zoom

Pre-registration required for Zoom link by calling The Thompson.

Rich Araldi has been a performing musician for over 45 years on vibraphone, piano, and drums. He will provide us with an excursion through the great songs of the 20th century and the stories that make them that much more special. Drawing from the jazz age, through the swing era, into modern jazz, the Beatles, and beyond! Songs we love with stories, anecdotes, and trivia. This will be an enjoyable performance for all ages, family friendly and interactive, covering a wide range of music and topics.

Staff Spotlight: Administrative Staff

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Paula Audsley, Business Manager: Paula has been at The Thompson the longest of any Thompson staff member – 17 years!  She has touched virtually every part of our program, knows our building inside and out, and tracks our finances through Quickbooks with the most detailed eye. She has managed reporting, recruited   volunteers, driven the bus on trips, delivered Meals on Wheels, decorated our building, run the Holiday Bazaar, and so much more.   

Favorite thing about working at the Thompson:  Sharing with our Seniors their life stories, friendship, laughter and tears. When my son was in grade school in Barnard I would occasionally pick him up so he could join me delivering Meals on Wheels; it gave him an early appreciation of our senior citizens and one of the most important missions of the Thompson – delivering hot meals and checking up on our patrons.

Favorite Thompson memories:  Driving our van full of seniors to local shows, performances and outings and longer trips to such far flung places as Alaska, New York City and Washington DC during which I could get to know some of our patrons so much better. Another favorite memory was when a   rather shy, very quiet lady got up at lunch and started yodeling; it was just such a surprise and amazing how well she could yodel!

Hobbies and bucket list:  Most anything outdoors: fishing, swimming, kayaking, hiking, gardening, long walks with my trusty yellow lab, Pippa and quilting and knitting for indoor activities. I recently crossed off my bucket list zip lining (exhilarating)! A trip to Hawaii might be next and exhibiting quilts nationally.

Jen Bloch, Marketing Coordinator: Jen has been The Thompson’s marketing coordinator for 6 years.  In this role she has created hundreds of beautiful program flyers, newsletters, posters, website content, and ads that shared critical information about The Thompson with our participants and supporters. Jen also worked with us for a year as our volunteer coordinator a few years prior, and we were so glad to have her come back to us in the marketing role.  Jen and her husband, Dave, live in Woodstock with their three sons Evan (20) Christian (18) and Austin (15) and their sweet lab named Ollie.

Hobbies:  I love to read, garden, bake, hike, and get to the beach whenever possible. 

Bucket list items:  A family trip to Scotland, Ireland and Germany (my ancestral background). 

Favorite memories at The Thompson:  My favorite time at the Thompson is during the holidays where it’s so festive and cozy. I especially look forward to our holiday meals and spending time with fellow staff during our holiday party. 

Favorite meal at the Thompson:  Hands down the Mac and Cheese

Favorite thing about working at the Thompson:  One of the most rewarding things about my specific role is that I have the opportunity to communicate such important information to those who need it most. I can visually enjoy the sense of accomplishment whether it be the printed newsletter or an eNews or an invitation or flyer/poster. I like coordinating all of the information into one place and putting my own little creative spin on it. I’ve learned a great deal and continue to learn which keeps my job super interesting! 

Shari Borzekowski, Administrative and Resource Assistant:  Shari has been at The Thompson for 5 years and helped to develop her role as our first resource assistant.  She writes our thank you notes, processes donations, manages our calendars and building rentals, and assists other staff with administrative tasks.  Her role has grown as our communities needs have grown and now includes our Aging at Home program — managing donated medical equipment and providing referrals to our vetted service providers – one number to call for any Aging at Home need.

“ I live in Killington with my husband and two teenage kids (one’s usually in college) and our 3 year old dog.  We’re a musical family, we all sing and each play a different instrument, sometimes together!  I also enjoy hiking and yoga.  I love the Thompson patrons and volunteers–I’m inspired by their energy and their positive outlook, even Dwight’s gallows humor, which took a while to get used to.  I love sitting in the foyer and being in the thick of things.  I miss everyone and look forward to your coming back to the Thompson!”

Deanna Jones, Executive Director: It’s hard to believe I’ve been at The Thompson for 10 years!  These have been some of the most rewarding years of my life.   I’ve had 2 of our 4 children since joining the Thompson, and I’ve loved that they’ve all had a big extended family with so many people caring for them.  Now ranging in age from 4 – 16, they don’t join me at the Center as often, but they have a lasting love and respect for our older generation.  One of my most special memories is when our older children advocated at their ArtisTree camp for the proceeds of their craft fair to go to Meals on Wheels. Without me knowing, they convinced the class how important the meals are.  I’ve also loved giving many other children the opportunity to experience the special care and attention at The Thompson during our Generation to Generation programs.  I also love the holiday gatherings that feel like family get togethers (even when I worry about the Yankee Swap gift stealing of the Vera Bradley purses).  Some of my biggest challenges are keeping up with communication and advocating for recognition and funding of the important work of senior centers.  Senior Centers are the hidden gems that keep a big part of the community safe and well-fed during normal times and times of crisis.  I was at the Thompson during hurricane Irene and now during Covid, and I can’t imagine anything more fulfilling than working with this team of staff and volunteers who always go above and beyond.  

Staff Spotlight: Pam & Siobhan, thank you for all that you do!

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Pam Butler:  During this period of extended shutdown, if you’ve had any need for groceries, medications, or even a friendly call, you’ve probably talked to Pam.  Pam is our program director and has been at The Thompson for 12 years.  During normal times, she plans interesting programs, works out endless details on fabulous trips, and communicates and plans with many instructors to bring us the best classes and opportunities for learning and life enrichment.  We’re so thankful for Pam and all that she does and now during these days of COVID, we appreciate her skills on a new level.  Pam has been overseeing many daily check-in calls, organizing the grocery shopping, and in general finding a way to meet any need that comes up.  Pam and her husband, Stan, live in Barnard with their beloved yellow lab, Josie.

Favorite thing about working at Thompson:   The daily interaction with people who have become like extended family. What moves me most is the lifetime friendships — people who grew up together and raised their families together and continue to nurture these friendships through congregate meals, reunion meetings and traditional gatherings.

Favorite Thompson memories:  The variety of dinner programs like our Spring Fling, Italian Dinner night, Marko the Magician and always the volunteer recognition celebration, and pranking with staff members! 

“Two programs stand out in my mind as most memorable, and there have been many:  An evening with Meteorologist Mark Breen from VPR because I am a weather fanatic, and Robert Hagar’s presentation on the top 10 news stories over his illustrious 40 year career with NBC. Fascinating!”

Hobbies & bucket list:  Anything with snow – snowshoeing, snowmobiling.  Hiking and paddle boarding in summer. My bucket list is easy; owning a motorhome and touring the country with my husband Stan and our lab Josie. And, my bucket list will always include a bucket of labs.

Siobhan Wright:  If you’ve received Meals on Wheels, ordered a take-out meal, or volunteered these past few months, you’ve definitely talked to Siobhan.  Siobhan is our Meals on Wheels and Transportation Coordinator.  She has worked every day throughout the shutdown to pack the meal bags, organize routes, schedule volunteers, and distribute meals.  Siobhan (or Show-be as Alberto calls her) has been at the Thompson for 11 years.  In normal times, she also schedules rides and manages the front desk in our entryway.  For almost 10 years, Siobhan worked in the kitchen with Chef Ryan and most people remember her pies, desserts, and especially our beautiful tea party treats!  

Things you might not know:  Siobhan and her husband, Ross, fell in love with Barnard and moved to Vermont 19 years ago from New Jersey with their 3 kids.  Siobhan worked for 7 years at the Barnard General store before Pam encouraged her to come to the Thompson.  She worked in the kitchen with Linda at the time .

Hobbies and favorite things to do:   Time spent with grandchildren, Noah and Hunter.  Siobhan says “grandsons are pure joy!” Time at the lake and on the beach at the ocean.

Favorite thing about working at The Thompson:   “A year and half ago Deanna gave me the opportunity to move away from the kitchen (and washing dishes) to the front desk to coordinate Meals on Wheels and rides.  Now I get to see more people face to face, and I can’t wait to see everyone again!” . 

Staff Spotlight: In the Kitchen

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Chef Ryan has been with us at The Thompson since 2007.  He’s a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier. He and his family live in Windsor with their two huskies.

Favorite holiday meal to cook at The Thompson: Bastille Day. He likes    trying the different menu items that the French table requests. 

Favorite food:  He doesn’t have one and says he likes everything that’s why he’s a chef, but he does admit that his famous chocolate chip cookies are his   favorite cookie.

Favorite sports teams: Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins, of course!  He enjoys teasing Ted Staples & Alberto about the Yankees and has been known to give them tissues to dry their tears from time to time.

Favorite memory at The Thompson:  He likes playing horseshoes with Norm and “the guys” and has fond memories of the table setting volunteers over the years (now Helen and Mary, but he mentioned missing Gladys Deatte, Bernice Atwood, Phyllis Hickory, and Catherine Adams who all volunteered, “more or less peacefully” but they always had fun)

On Ryan’s bucket list:  Skydiving!  Riding more roller coasters, and swimming in a cage with sharks! Oh my!

Alberto came to the Thompson last year and has been a terrific addition to our kitchen team.  He also cleans the building before his kitchen shift. He moved to the United States from Puerto Rico when he was 18 years old. He and his two sons live in North Pomfret.

Favorite meal at The Thompson:  Meatloaf

Favorite Sports Team: The Yankees

Favorite things to do besides working: Playing pool, hiking, and having a    bonfire

On Alberto’s bucket list: Going to Hawaii and having his own cleaning business

Favorite thing about working at The Thompson:  The people. He “loves everybody” and just wants everyone to come back.

Thank you, Chef Ryan and Alberto for all that you do!