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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.    

When signing on for SLN programs, please remember the following:

  • Stay muted unless otherwise instructed. SLN cannot accept new participants later than 15 minutes after start of program. Programs start promptly at 2:00 pm.
  • Display your name on zoom room (first name is fine)
  • Participants will be asked what senior center they are affiliated with
  • Please do not share Zoom room IDs with anyone who is not registered to better protect the integrity of the Zoom program.

Try this zoom tutorial if you need some assistance: https://youtu.be/9isp3qPeQ0E

Register in advance through the Thompson to receive the Zoom link.

Jefferson’s Monticello

Tuesday, January 19, 2:00 pm

We’re taking a virtual field trip to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello!

Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd president of the United States of America. His home in Charlottesville, Virginia, is an architectural icon, with its neoclassical design drafted by Jefferson himself.

During this tour, our Monticello educator will use images and Google Street View as well as Q & A time to engage your participants and get a glimpse of life on the “little mountain.”

The Art and Architecture of Hearst Castle

Thursday, January 21, 2:00 pm

Located in central California, along the Pacific Coast stands Hearst Castle. This architectural wonder was the home of the famous American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst from 1919 to 1947.  At one time, christened La Cuesta Encantada or The Enchanted Hill by its famous resident, today it is both a California Historical Landmark and a National Historical Landmark. Hearst, a prolific collector of art and antiques, designed the construction of Hearst Castle to provide space necessary to display his vast collection of artifacts.

Come explore the variety of historical architectural structures, all based on what Hearst himself had seen during his travels around Europe.

National Portrait Gallery

“Every Eye is Upon Me”: First Ladies of the United States

Tuesday, January 26, 2:00 pm

From the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, we will take you on a virtual tour of the National Portrait Gallery’s First Ladies exhibition entitled “Every Eye is Upon Me: First Ladies of the United States,” covering First   Lady Martha Washington through First Lady Melania Trump. Learn about First Ladies who came to the White House through marriage or as family friends or relatives who filled this important role. Through portraiture, you’ll will learn about their personalities, experiences, and accomplishments.

Live from the Truman Presidential Library

Tuesday, February 2, 2:00 pm

Take a sneak peek into the new exhibits as the museum comes close to opening in the Spring of 2021! 

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of his presidency, the Truman    Library and Truman Library Institute have developed a momentous plan to use Truman’s life and legacy to inform, inspire, educate, and engage a 21st-century audience at an increasingly critical time in our  nation’s history.

Elephant Sanctuary, Tennessee

Tuesday, February 9, 2:00 pm

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee exists to provide captive elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being, and to raise public awareness of the complex needs of elephants in captivity, and the crisis facing elephants in the wild.  Located on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, TN, The Elephant Sanctuary is the largest natural habitat refuge in the country dedicated solely to the care of African and Asian elephants retired from zoos and circuses across North America. As a true sanctuary, the elephant habitats are closed to the public and all the elephants are retired from their lives of performance and exhibition. Through their distance learning program, Using photos, lives-streaming video and storytelling, a member of The Sanctuary’s education team will offer a virtual glimpse into the daily life of elephants at The Sanctuary and answer all of your elephant related questions.

Durham Museum: Historic Train Travel

Thursday, February 11, 2:00 pm

Join us for a virtual tour of the museum’s authentic train cars! We will start with a look at our 1890’s steam engine and 1950’s caboose, followed by a walk through our passenger trains. Luxurious rail travel awaits!

About the Durham Museum: Beautiful architecture blends with memories of a time gone by at The Durham Museum. Making its home in one of Omaha’s most unique treasures, Union Station, The Durham Museum offers a fascinating look at the history of the region and offers a broad-range of traveling exhibits covering subjects ranging from history and culture, to science, industry and more through our affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution and strong ties with the Library of Congress, National Archives and the Field Museum.

Hildene – The Lincoln Family Home

Pullman Porters: Unsung Heroes, Former Slaves, Labor Organizers, Middle Class Citizens: Civil Rights Activists

Tuesday, February 16, 2:00 pm

Located in Manchester, Vermont, Hildene was built by Abraham Lincoln’s son, Robert Lincoln, in 1905. Today’s guests experience the 412 acre estate’s Welcome Center and The Museum Store; home and gardens; Lincoln exhibit; 1903 Pullman car, Sunbeam, “Many Voices” exhibit, a site on the Vermont African American Heritage Trail; goat dairy and cheese-making facility; sustainable agriculture project in The Dene; 600’ wetland floating boardwalk; and 12 miles of 4 season trails.

Participants will discover what it was like to travel and work on a Pullman car, and engage in discussion about the porters’ enduring fight for social change and justice in America. We will examine the critical role that Pullman porters played in giving rise to America’s black middle class, the formation of the black labor movement, and the momentum for the civil rights movement. This slice of history spans 100 years beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation.

National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

Tuesday, February 23, 2:00 pm

BIG fun with miniatures! Explore the incredible artistry of fine-scale miniatures with Laura Taylor and Kelly Burns from The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Missouri.  Enjoy a video tour of some of the highlights of the museum’s fine-scale miniatures collection, followed by time for Q&A.

General Grant National Memorial

Thursday, February 25, 2:00 pm

The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict in American history as Commanding General of the Union Army and then, as President of the United States, strove to heal a   nation after a civil war and make rights for all citizens a reality.

Coffee Talk Continues – Let’s Chat!

Coming in February- a special guest from the Vermont History Center

Mondays at 9:00 am

We invite you to join us on Monday mornings for Coffee Talk by simply dialing in to our toll free phone number (like with Bingo). We’ll catch up with each other, maybe share old stories or talk about current events, and have occasional special guests to share their expertise on a topic of interest.

It’s as simple as using your telephone. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, find a cozy chair & dial 1-802-448-5745 to get connected!

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 new 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

Register for a Virtual Tai Chi Class This Winter

Stay safe and warm and enjoy Tai Chi at home this winter. Instructor, Anne Bower, is offering 5 classes a week and we encourage you to try a new class or continue Tai Chi. It’s slow, gentle but powerful movements will give you energy and multiple health benefits. For more information on any of these classes, please email Anne at anniebower@yahoo.com.  Zoom links will be provided at   registration with The Thompson.

Monday: 10-11 Tai Chi with a Chair

Monday: 11:10-12:10 Introduction to Sun 73 forms (prior knowledge of Fall Prevention Tai Chi is required)

Wednesday: 10-11 Fall Prevention Tai Chi

Wednesday: 11:10-12:10 Sun 73 continuing practice and learning

Friday: 10-11 Yang 24 continuing practice and learning

Update from Bone Builders Class from Althea Derstine

Zoom meetings will continue weekly and will now be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays for current students. Participants are also encouraged to continue their practice at home. Exercise routines provided by Althea are available via email or by calling The Thompson.