What’s Happened Since #1 at the Middleton Senior Center

  • Established a free holiday Meals on Wheels program for Middleton elderly residents. Partnering with St. Bernard's Church and an anonymous donor approximately 60 elderly persons are delivered a free holiday meal on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
  • Created the Meals on Two Wheels program to deliver Meals to the elderly by bicycle. Six bike riders currently participate in the program on a regular basis.
  • Increased participation in the volunteer program at the Senior Center to include over 200 volunteers, participating in 27 different jobs. A number of volunteer leader programs have been developed, including a Men's group, Nimble Fingers Sewers and Knitters, Essential Tremor Support Group, Jam Session, Senior Center chorus and several other groups facilitated by volunteers.
  • A new Essential Tremor support group was established. This is the first of its kind in the area. The Senior Center also partners with the Alzheimer Association to offer "Meeting of Minds" program twice per week. This program is for persons diagnosed with early stages of dementia and strives to keep their minds active and to learn coping strategies to deal with the disease.
  • Wii sports began in fall 2008 for interested seniors, primarily bowling twice each week. Currently a bowling team from the senior center is competing in a summer league, traveling among four Senior Centers in Dane County.
  • Other new programs at the Senior Center include a singles group, sewing and mending services, chorus, Dining Center Participant Committee and a book club.
  • Cell Phone recycling has saved over 150 cell phones from going into the landfill and raised over $1,200 to serve older adults in Middleton. The Senior Center also recycles ipods, digital cameras and lap top computers.
  • The Nimble Fingers sewing and knitting group has donated over 500 items since it began meeting in early 2008. Recipients include the Middleton Cross Plains schools, Gilda's house, Middleton Outreach Ministry, the Middleton Police Department, and other local Middleton service organizations.
  • Implemented the MY SENIOR CENTER computer tracking program for monitoring participation and programming statistics. The Middleton Senior Center was the first program in the State of Wisconsin to implement the program.
  • Completed the National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) accreditation program. The Senior Center first received national accreditation in August 2004. Beginning in October 2008 the Senior Center created a Re-Accreditation Committee composed of community and business persons, senior center staff, volunteers and participants to review all areas of senior center operations. The group analyzed how the senior center has improved and grown over the past five years. The Center will be visited and assessed by the national peer reviewer in August 2009.
  • Held a community health fair and flu shot clinic in October 2008 attended by over 300 community members.