Well, if you are over age 60 and living in Danbury, there is: it’s the Elmwood Hall - Danbury Senior Center! Danbury’s best-kept secret, Elmwood Hall is a program of the Department of Elderly Services, part of the City of Danbury. Anyone aged 60 and up is welcome to stop by to participate in any of the 39-plus weekly program offerings as well as many “special events.” Membership and most programming at Elmwood Hall are free, there are some programs that cost a nominal fee, to help pay for instructors. In addition to recreational and educational activities, Elmwood Hall also houses Danbury’s only Municipal Agent, working for the elderly to access valuable community resources.

There is so much going on here year-round. We have regular weekly programs that include Art, Yoga, Games, Dancing, and so much more. All the programs we offer can be found on our website at www.danburyseniors.org, or call us to sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter. In addition to our regular programming, we bring in multiple special programs a month. We partner with community organizations to bring the best of the greater Danbury area directly to our older adults. This includes Health and Wellness Workshops (February features a fall prevention workshop by Nuvance Health), Informational Talks (upcoming topics include Medicare, Estate Planning, and Alzheimer’s disease) as well as Lifelong Learning Opportunities (upcoming topics include the History of Black Broadway, presented by WCSU professor Dr. Donald Gagnon). These are just a sampling of the amazing programs you will find at Elmwood Hall.

Over the next two months, we are partnering with the AARP to provide free tax preparation assistance for anyone who needs it. We will also be assisting residents with rent rebate applications. These activities are by appointment only. Please call 203-797-4686 to secure an appointment. Appointments fill up quickly.

Any senior or family member can call or stop by with questions about any issues related to aging. We are happy to help in any way we can, and if we don’t have the answer right away, we will find it for you. We welcome you to stop by and have coffee with us and learn more about what we do and other programs we offer. Stop by Elmwood Hall (10 Elmwood Place) anytime Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. We hope to see you soon!

Susan Tomanio, LCSW, is the Director of Elderly Services at the Elmwood Hall Danbury Senior Center.