Episode 57: Club 60 - The Free Senior Community That's Changing Lives in Grants Pass
Host: Jamie Callahan
Guest: Lori Camacho, Executive Director, Club 60
JAMIE CALLAHAN: Hi, this is Jamie Callahan with the Team Senior Podcast. Our goal is to simplify aging. Society grooms us to plan for retirement, but what about life beyond retirement, where the rubber meets the road? Perhaps you've had a stroke, or you've been diagnosed with cancer, or maybe you're forgetting things and now you have dementia. That's our area of expertise, and we are here to share our insight.
And now, the Team Senior Podcast.
Hi, this is Jamie Callahan, and I am in the studio today with Lori Camacho. Lori is the executive director for Club 60. Lori, for listeners who might not know what Club 60 is, can you tell us a little bit about it?
LORI CAMACHO: It's a safe place for seniors to come to, to gather together. Like on Tuesday mornings, we have a big group that comes in, and we just sit around and visit and have coffee and donuts and just relax and enjoy each other. And then in the afternoons, there's other programs, line dancing and—
JAMIE: Yeah, there are a lot of programs at—
LORI: Bridge.
JAMIE: At Club 60.
LORI: And there's— yeah, I got lots of stuff going on.
JAMIE: I know. I love walking in there because everybody is always so happy. Club 60 is a completely free club, right?
LORI: Completely. I get asked that a lot. "How much does it cost? Where do I have to sign?" Nope, just come and enjoy being with us. I make sure and greet everybody. I introduce myself. I make sure, get their names, so when we go back to the dining room that we use — it's a huge dining room — for our activities, I'm able to introduce them to everybody that's there. Every single group, every single activity, the people that are there are so welcoming—
JAMIE: I love that.
LORI: And so friendly. I love that. I never have to worry about somebody new coming in, and you can see it in their eyes, they're nervous, and they're not sure, and they just open their arms and welcome everybody in, and I love that.
JAMIE: I love it, too. I always encourage folks for their very first time to go on a Tuesday morning because I know that you will be there to help take them around and show them the schedule and introduce them to some folks that are there.
LORI: Yes. We have a lady that has been — I think she's been there for her third time. She has a caregiver that brings her. And she was very quiet and very nervous, and we sat her down with all the ladies, and we sat and talked and giggled, and she had coffee and a donut and just really was in with everything that was going on and everything that was being talked about. Yesterday, we realized that it was her 94th birthday.
JAMIE: Oh my gosh. Wow.
LORI: So I didn't have any advance notice because she's fairly new, but we all sang happy birthday to her, and she just lit up.
JAMIE: Oh, that's so great.
LORI: And half the people there didn't know her, but she was part of our group.
JAMIE: That's so great. I know that group that goes for coffee and donuts. It's a large group of people, and it is just so fun to walk into that room and see everybody talking and laughing and cutting donuts in half and making coffee and yeah, it's very fun.
LORI: Yep.
JAMIE: Lori's there every Tuesday for coffee and donuts at 9:00 AM, and that's helpful because when you walk in, you're not just entering a room full of people that you don't know. Lori's really good about taking folks around and introducing them.
LORI: Or making sure I go sit with the new person, or make sure they're sitting with somebody I know that is going to help them feel welcome and comfortable.
JAMIE: That's amazing. So to say it again, Club 60 — it's located in Grants Pass. It's located at 1150 Northeast 9th Street in Grants Pass, which is not on the corner of Savage, but it's near the corner of Savage. It's located inside the Josephine County Senior Resource Center, and it's important to note that while Club 60 only takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, lunch is served there by Food & Friends every day. It's their congregate meal site as well, which is why Club 60 has to take a break in the middle of the day. So you'll notice when you look at the schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays that Club 60 doesn't offer anything during the lunch hour other than lunch, which is provided by Food & Friends. Lori, tell us a little bit about the different classes that happen there. So we know we've talked about coffee and donuts. There are some other things that happen as well.
LORI: There's the tai chi that Robert leads. That has really grown. And the line dancing — Sue and Jerry do an amazing job. And Sue and Jerry have been there from the very beginning.
JAMIE: They've been there longer than I have.
LORI: Yeah. They — of course, when I started this, what, a year and a half ago, they just brought me in, put me under their wing, and "Yep, you got this. This is how we're going to roll." And it's been a welcoming, wonderful experience for me. I went in feeling like I was over my head, and everybody there just — they welcome each other and they welcome me.
JAMIE: The instructors and the folks that are coming to participate in those different workshops. Yeah. I love going there. I don't get to get in there very often, but I do love going there and seeing everybody. Everybody's always so happy to — they're so grateful because every single thing at Club 60 is free. It doesn't matter what you're going to. So we have instructors that volunteer their time to teach the classes at Club 60 so that we can all roll it back to the seniors. And part of the reason why this started is because there was no senior center in Grants Pass. And this is going back for as long as I can remember, maybe 10 years. And honestly, they don't like it when we call it a senior center. They want us to call it a senior resource center, because it isn't your typical senior center. We're not a nonprofit, although at some point we probably will be. Team Senior pays for every single thing that happens there, from the coffee and donuts that's served to all the different activities. But we did it because we know that social isolation takes an incredible toll on someone's health, and I get calls from people all the time that say, "I'm new to the area and I don't know anyone," or, "I'm stuck in my house and I'm really lonely." And we send every single one of them to Club 60, and Lori is there to greet them.
LORI: Yes.
JAMIE: Yeah. It's been — it's definitely been a ride and really fun watching the class sizes grow. For example, the chair yoga class that happens there, they started with just six or eight people, and that class has grown to over 35 people now.
LORI: Yeah, just in the last year, every single activity and every class has doubled and tripled. Chair yoga keeps growing. We're going to need a bigger room.
JAMIE: I've heard that.
LORI: Or we're going to have to line up down the hall. I don't know.
JAMIE: I've heard that. I've heard that. I want you to share with us a memorable story, something that's happened at Club 60 that has been meaningful in someone's life or has changed the fact that they're at home maybe alone and they didn't have anybody to hang out with before they got there.
LORI: I have one person in mind. I always tell all my people, "If you ever need anything, give me a phone call. I don't care what time of the day or night. It doesn't have to be during Club 60 hours. If you're needing something or needing some help with something or have a question, call me." And they all have my phone number, my personal phone number. And of course, people say that, and it's like, yeah, nobody will ever call. I have one person who's been coming to Club 60 for quite a while, and he actually called me.
JAMIE: I love that.
LORI: He's like, "I've been having issues. I can't drive to the store. I really — Lori, I need somebody to go to the store. I don't have any food." I'm like, "I'm on it." Ran right to the store. And then there was another call. "I have to have eye surgery, but I don't have a ride home." I'm here. What time are we doing this?
JAMIE: That is really — the root of what this entire organization stands for, not just Club 60, but also the nonprofit New Age Oregon and also Team Senior. We — every single person that is a part of our team operates from the same place. When you need something, call us, and if we cannot help you ourselves, we will make sure you get the help that you need.
LORI: And I've witnessed ones sharing phone numbers among themselves. "Let's meet here," or, "I've got an appointment, could you help me out with a ride?" Or so it's everybody in there for everybody — not just showing up, playing a game, and then going to isolate themselves again.
JAMIE: That's fantastic.
LORI: There's friendships that have developed, and I love being part of it.
JAMIE: Yeah, I know. And I get so much positive feedback from everybody that has ever been there, including our community partners. We have had several different organizations reach out to us and ask how they can support what's happening there.
LORI: Yeah, there's a couple of different businesses that have even been bringing coffee and donuts in for us.
JAMIE: Yeah, I know. That's so great. Which is great. Yeah. Is there anything that you'd like us to know about Club 60 that we haven't talked about?
LORI: I've pretty much covered everything. It is a huge resource not just for getting together and getting out of the house and participating in these programs, but questions about — there's veterans that come in that have questions, or "Who do I talk to about getting my taxes done," or "Is there a computer class somewhere," or a whole variety. Or "My husband isn't doing well. We're thinking about maybe a facility, or we're talking about in-home care," and I have all the information and resources for all of that, and if I don't have it, I know who to call.
JAMIE: I know who you call also.
LORI: You call me.
JAMIE: Yes. You or Leslie or Stephanie — I've got a whole range of ways that I can help, and if I can't have the answers right away, I make sure and get back to them and—
LORI: Let them know that you're working on it.
JAMIE: Just take care of my people.
LORI: Yeah. And that is really an important thing for folks to understand when they join any one of these organizations that are in our network, is that we truly try to be a resource for every single person, really no matter what you need. We do not do taxes, but we know who to direct you to based on different things. We don't provide hospice, but we definitely work with some organizations that provide exceptional care, and we know who those organizations are. So we always encourage folks to reach out to us for anything that you need.
LORI: And when you come into the resource center, there's a whole table full of everything you could think of as far as programs or help or directions to go to get help.
JAMIE: Lori, thank you so much for being here today. I want to share with folks how to engage with Club 60. There is a website. It's called Club 60 — 60 spelled out — so club60.org. Again, club60.org. You can also reach out via phone, and Lori's direct telephone number is 541-441-1426. That is not the phone number that's on the website. You can call that phone number as well, but it's likely just going to forward to Lori anyway. You can call her or text her at that number. Again, it's located on 9th Street in Grants Pass. It's not on the corner of 9th and Savage, but it's near the corner of 9th and Savage. And of course, if you ever need anything and you're not able to get somebody on the phone, you're always welcome to call Team Senior, and that number is 541-295-8230. Again, 541-295-8230. Lori, thank you so much for being here today. Do you have anything else you want to share with folks?
LORI: No, other than just come and join the fun.
JAMIE: Yeah, it is fun. Yeah. All right. Thank you so much, and have a great rest of the day.
LORI: You too, and thank you, Jamie, for having me.
JAMIE: You're welcome. Thank you for listening to the Team Senior Podcast. We're here every week sharing new and relevant information. Remember that we're just a phone call away. Team Senior can be reached at 541-295-8230. Again, 541-295-8230. Until next time, this is Jamie Callahan.
