Chef’s Dinner

April 22, 2022 by Thompson Senior Center

We’re thrilled that the dinner is now SOLD OUT! Thank you to all who are supporting us in this way. If you missed this dinner, our next one is being planned for July.

Senior Centers: Delivering Vital Connections!

August 13, 2020 by Jen Bloch

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 16^th: 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 25^th 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!

“The Thompson at Home”

July 20, 2020 by Jen Bloch

Your Virtual Senior Center

Senior Learning Network Virtual Programming at The Thompson

Please call to reserve your spot. Let us know if you would prefer to view from home or watch from the Thompson and leave the technology to us.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Tuesday, June 21, 2;00 pm

The building of the Casa Grande was a major event of the Classic Period (1100 – 1450 C.E.). The best dating methods available indicate that this large, caliche structure was built during the 1300’s. The construction appears to have been well planned and organized, requiring tons of material and a huge cooperative effort on the part of many people. Today we can only marvel at the Casa Grande and try to imagine what it was used for. Though many theories have been suggested, we still aren’t sure as to its purpose. All we can assume is that the Casa Grande must have been very important to the people who built it. Join us as we learn about this fascinating mystery in Arizona!

Truman Presidential Library: The Upset of the Century

Tuesday, June 28, 2:00 pm

Truman’s approval in 1948 was at an all-time low. Still, he enjoyed being President. He threw himself into the challenge of his long-shot re-election bid with confidence and verve. His aggressive cross-country “Whistle Stop” campaign began nearly broke.

Flanked by Bess “The Boss” Truman and crowd favorite Margaret, he crisscrossed the country thee times by train. He met with Midwestern farmers and cheering crowds in Harlem. He stressed high prices and housing. He attacked the “Do Nothing” 80th Congress. In the last campaign where television did not play a role, Truman spoke directly with voters.

His win over the heavily favored Republican candidate, Thomas Dewey, was one of the greatest upsets in U.S. political history.

The Energy Crisis (of the 70s)

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

Tuesday, July 5, 2:00 pm

Have you heard the phrase: “not since the ‘70s” lately? On February 2, 1977, less than two weeks after assuming the Presidency, Jimmy Carter addressed the nation in a televised “fireside chat” to speak to Americans about the looming Energy Crisis. What tools and resources does the Constitution provide the Executive branch to take on such a crisis? What role do the other branches of government play? This program will examine the 39th President’s response to this crisis through the lens of primary sources of the Carter Library and National Archives.

John Muir National Historic Site

Tuesday, July 12, 2:00 pm

Located in Martinez, California, the John Muir National Historic Site and National Historic Landmark is where Muir lived and worked during the period of his greatest influence in conservation. Muir’s marriage to Louisa (Louie) Strentzel in 1880 and role in the management of her family’s extensive fruit ranch provided him with the financial security, social connections, and support necessary to commit himself to the movement. From his “scribble den” on the second floor of the Victorian-Italianate Strentzel-Muir house, Muir mounted letter writing campaigns and penned his most important books including The Mountains of California (1894) and Our National Parks (1901). Muir’s writing and advocacy during his years in Martinez were instrumental to the establishment of early national parks and forest reserves. The Muir Home also offers opportunities to grapple with critical interpretations of Muir’s life and legacy. The property reveals tensions and intersections between the various sides of Muir as the solitary mountaineer, the wealthy grower and family breadwinner, and the passionate advocate for nature.

“Making Her Mark” Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Tuesday, July 19, 2:00 pm

Join us as we enjoy a new presentation from Amon Carter! Explore works by women artists in the Carter’s collection who have demonstrated courageous talent despite adversity and made their mark in the art world.

Gateway Arch National Park

Tuesday, July 26, 2:00 pm

The process of creating the Gateway Arch took many years before its completion in 1965. In this virtual program, a National Park Ranger will share Eero Saarinen’s story and take us back to the 1960s to learn about the process of conceiving, designing, and building the tallest national monument in the United States.