Circle of Friends

Clinton Senior Center to Host New Circle of Friends Sessions

Care Connection for Aging Services invites you to join Circle of Friends at the Clinton Senior Center.

Circle of Friends is geared toward seniors (Age 60+) in need of more social support and connection in their community. The program starts October 22 at 10 a.m. and will meet every Tuesday for twelve weeks and is for men only. During the first meeting, the participants will talk about their interests so that the sessions can be tailored to their interests. The rest of the meetings will focus on topics and activities that the group chooses. A moderator will help to guide the sessions, but members will be able to connect naturally.

“The goal is for them to become friends, really,” said Marilyn Gunter, Family Caregiver Director for Care Connection for Aging Services. “It’s a way to bring together people that would not meet otherwise to form that friendship. It’s to allow members to form closer bonds from week to week.”

Several Care Connection Care Managers have trained to moderate and administer the program through St. Louis University, which adapted it from Helsinski University in Finland to address the growing challenge of social isolation among older adults. The goal of the program is to help participants form bonds of friendship that last long after the sessions have ended.

Those interested in participating in Circle of Friends can register at the Clinton Senior Center or call 660-438-3300, ext. 3.