Classic Times Newsletter q4 2020

Quarterly Newsletter of the Lexington County
Recreation & Aging Commission (Council on Aging)
4th Quarter, 2020, www20202
Long Life & Happiness
www.lcrac.com
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CLASSIC TIMES
From the Director:
Lynda Christison……….……..
2020 has been a year of difficult challenges and amazing acts of
generosity and caring. The pandemic dictated that, for
everyone’s safety, we close all seven senior centers and postpone
many other programs and services. It also provided the
means to greatly expand our Meals on Wheels program, offer a
6-week drive through meals program, and offer weekend meals
during the worst of the spring 2020 wave of infections.
There are not enough words to adequately thank our dedicated
staff and volunteers who are safely serving 34% more meals and
clients than we were helping in February. This is the equivalent
of 5 years of growth in less than one year! Every week, our
amazing volunteers and staff drive more than 1000 miles taking
meals to clients on 80 routes. Between March 1 st and
December 31 st , 2020, they delivered over 133,700 meals. They
have also averaged over 1,800 wellness phone visits a week to
our seniors, providing socialization, referrals to needed services,
and emergency intervention.
Thanks to our partners, Traditions and US Foods, we have not
struggled to find nutritionally balanced meals to deliver to our
clients as have many other Councils on Aging. We are not able
to choose which meals we will receive, but we always have
meals to deliver.
With the pandemic exploding our home delivered meals program,
the completion of the 4,000 square foot Food Distribution
Facility in Batesburg is a critical to LCRAC being able to continue
to expand its nutrition services both now and in the future. In a
very limited, masked and social distanced grand opening, SC
Department on Aging Director, Connie Munn and LCRAC
Commission Chair, Larry Mack jointly cut the ribbon. Most of
the cost of the building was covered by a grant from the SC
Senior Center Project Improvement Program.
Senior Centers, transportation, Medical Escort, and other
services are projected to restart in April – IF IT SAFE TO DO SO.
It is so important that all of us continue to socially distance,
wear our masks, and wash our hands regularly. This is not the
time to relax our safety measures, as much as we all want to.
Please everyone stay safe and enjoy the included puzzles.!!
As we face the next few difficult months together, please
remember to plan for more than the pandemic. Winter, with
the possibility of snow, ice, and power outages also needs to be
prepared for. Stay in touch with your bad weather buddy.
Make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand, including
extra batteries, people and pet food, water, and medications.
The heartwarming caring and
generosity of churches, schools,
organizations, businesses, families
and individuals who make up Lexington
County have helped our
clients remain safely in their homes.
Money to purchase additional
meals, food for Project Pantry and
our 1000+ holiday goody bags, pet
food, incontinence supplies, craft
items, wonderfully warm blankets,
caps, scarves, and socks, and
hundreds of cards all mean so much
to the recipients and help ease their
loneliness.
Thank you
Sandhills School!
To all of you including the Walmart Foundation, Mid Carolina
Electric Cooperative, Cherokee Presbyterian Church, Gilbert
United Methodist Church, Florence Baptist Church, Pond Branch
United Methodist Church, Lexington United Methodist Church,
Blue Ridge Terrace Subdivision, Calvary United Methodist
Church, Shepard Church of Nazarene, Rehoboth United
Methodist Church, Pine View Baptist Church, Calvary AME
Church, St. Mark Baptist Church, US Foods, Sandhills School;
from the bottom of our collective hearts, THANK YOU!!
Food Distribution Center
As we move into 2021, vaccinations combined with all of us
following the CDC’s recommendations will allow things to
gradually go back to normal. Senior Centers will reopen,
Medical Esccort will restart, and Classic Travelers will be back
on the road. Let’s all get there together!

Meals on Wheels delivery
Guidelines for safety of all
persons during COVID-19
Like many illnesses, older adults
face a higher risk of contracting
COVID-19. For this reason, several
changes have been made as to
how the meals are delivered. For
your safety, and the safety of our
volunteers and staff, please adhere
to the delivery procedure
below:
All Meals on Wheels participants should leave a chair, or small table outside the
door where they normally receive their meals so that the meal
box(s) can be left on the table or chair.
The Meals on Wheels volunteer or staff will knock and move several
paces away while waiting for you, the participant, to collect
your meal .
If you do not answer the door, the volunteer will try to call. If you
do not answer, we will call your emergency contact, and your box of meals will be
returned to the center MEALS WILL NOT BE LEFT OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR OR IN
COOLERS!
If you would like to make arrangements to have your meals picked-up at your
designated senior center, please call that center or your case manager.
If you feel it necessary to go be with family or friends, please let staff know as
soon as possible so meals are not taken to your home.
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Discover Learn and Share (DL & S)
Don’t delay, and sign up today! For questions on any
of any these programs, call Patrick Sippel at
(803) 356-5111. DL&S provides new experiences for
older adults offering an exciting variety of classes,
activities, and programs for exploring new ideas, new
skills, and sharing with friends. Although the
program is designed for adults 60 years and over,
adults of any age may participate unless class
activity states otherwise.
Zumba Gold with Instructor Janice Shull
Tri-City Leisure Center
Monday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Ongoing, 6 week program
Cost: $36
Classic Travelers
Come travel with us! Trips are geared toward
seniors but open to adults of all ages.
For additional information, please call
Patrick Sippel at (803) 356-5111.
Niagara Falls and Toronto
May 16-22, 2021
Get your passport ready as Classic Travelers is once
again Canada bound! Our trip will include guided
tours of Toronto and Niagara Falls, a visit to Casa
Loma, Queen Victoria Park, and a journey to the falls
on a “Hornblower Niagara Cruise”. For more
information, please give us a call!
Cost: $600 (double occupancy)
Deposit $75 due at registration
Upper Body Strengthening Class with Instructor
Janice Shull
Tri-City Senior Center
Monday and Wednesday at 9am,
On-going, 6 week program
Cost: $42
Making a safe delivery
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Meet Our Staff…..
Director................................................Lynda Christison
Assistant Director……………………..…...Mary Beth Callais
Meals Coordinator………………………......Anne McCartha
Office Coordinator………….…………….…….June Wilbanks
Program Coordinator…………….………...….Patrick SippeI
Program Coord. Assistant……………...….…..Doris Yancey
Volunteer/Outreach Coord…………….…........Kim Stamm
Case Management Coordinator…....Cherlyn Garrett-Kee
Case Manager…………………………........Stephanie Rogan
Case Manager……………………………....Judith Templeton
Case Manager…………………………………...…..Lynn Hawks
Community Resource Specialist……........Connie Brooks
Senior Center Facilitator……………........….….Anne Craft
Homecare Coordinator……………….....Luciana Skubinski
Homecare Tech……………………….….….....Christine Hook
Homecare Tech……………………………..……. Debra Garrett
Medical Escort Drivers…..Elizabeth Frost/Marianne Snook
Later Life Advocate…………….…………..Karen Sundstrom
Administrative Office Assistant…..……...Barbara Landy
Receptionists………………...Barbara Landy/Minnie Warren
Thank You for
spreading some cheer!
Many families, individuals, and groups helped
to make cards for seniors at home on Meals
on Wheels during Covid 19. This helped
brighten many seniors days during these uncertain
times of this pandemic.
Lexington County Recreation and Aging
Commission’s Senior Centers are closed until
after at least 2021 of the year due to
Covid 19.
Lexington County Work Camp will be doing minor
home repair for seniors. For details visit
www.lexcoworkcamp.org. Application deadline in
February1, 2021. Sponsored by Cherokee
Presbyterian Church
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BATESBURG - LEESVILLE SENIOR CENTER
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
241 Highland Avenue * Phone: (803) 532-4536 * Director: Julia Allen
LCRAC Staff shows support for
Subaru Share the Love Event at
the new Food Distribution
Ribbon Cutting
In appreciation during
the pandemic…
Wiz’s Eatery and
Batesburg-Leesville Police
Department provided meals
once a week to the seniors of
Batesburg-Leesville.
This generous
contribution provided meals
to so many.
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Gilbert Summit Senior Center
8:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.
409 Broad Street * Phone: (803) 892-5745 * Director: Donna Neel
Thank you to….Wendy Binion
and Tamika Freeman at Batesburg-
Leesville Leisure Center for making
the activity guides that were
distributed to so many homebound
seniors helping during
Covid 19.
Receiving a safe delivery
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Lexington Senior Center
8:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.
108 Park Road * Phone: (803) 957-7979 * Director: Annie Mack
Thank you to
White Knoll
High School
& NJROTC
Cadets
for providing carnations
to seniors to brighten
their day as they stay at
home and safe.
Lexington Senior Center
participants enjoy Halloween
Bingo while social distancing!
Many lucky winners and thanks to all
those that came out!
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True Kindness
during Covid….
Thank you to
Sweet Magnolias Deli for
providing a special meal each
week for Meal’s on Wheels
recipients in the Pelion area.
Also, Brandy from Hawthorne
Pharmacy sewed and sold masks
to help fund the meals over the
past few months. This has
helped so many!!!
Pelion Senior Center
8:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.
210 Pine Street Drive * Phone: (803) 894-4351* Director: Laura Dowey
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Pine Ridge –South Congaree Senior Center
8:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.
1123 Courtney Drive* Phone: (803) 755-1274 *Director: Judy Bonifas
Pine Ridge and Lexington
seniors offer up their
sewing skills and lend a
hand to sew surgical hats for LMC
nurses during Covid 19 .
Special Thank You
to Cargill for
awarding us a grant
for $15,000.
This grant award helped us
to feed 562 clients
providing 4,162 weekend
meals.
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Swansea Senior Center
8:30 a.m –2:30 p.m.
197 N. Lawrence Ave. * Phone: (803 568-4545 * Director: Becky Pou
A BIG thank you
goes out to Meals on
Wheels Association
of America & Truist
Foundation for
awarding LCRAC a
$10,000 grant to
assist with providing
3,410 meals to
seniors during
covid 19.
Swansea Seniors enjoy
a surprise visit with a
Halloween Treat Bag
by the staff of the
Swansea Senior
Center!
Fun day for all !
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Tri-City Senior Center
9:00 a.m. –3:00 p.m.
485 Brooks Avenue * Phone: (803) 939-9311* Director: Peggy Scott
A VERY Special
Thank you goes out
to Blue Cross Blue Shield of
SC and Blue Cross Blue
Shield Foundation of SC for
providing the BCBSSC
Emergency Senior Feeding
Program in Lexington
County. Also, thanks to all
the volunteers that assisted
in getting the meals distributed.
This tremendous
assistance program helped
so many seniors during this
pandemic ensuring they had
a nutritious meal each day.
BCBSSC provided 60,000
meals to seniors.
Tri City Senior Center Participant’s
enjoy a drive through
trick or treat event. Social
distanced but loving every
minute of the day!
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