Monte San United Methodist Church volunteers Roger and Karren Crowson deliver one load of gifts to the TARCOG office on Monday, Nov. 18.
The TARCOG office is starting to look like Santa’s Workshop as sponsors are beginning to drop off donated gifts for our aging and disabled clients as part of the annual Winter Wishes campaign.
TARCOG Medicaid Waiver Program Manager Melissa Brinkley accepts a Winter Wishes package from Claire Aiello on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Melissa Brinkley, manager of the Medicaid Waiver Program, said all seniors aged 60 and older were adopted, however there are still about 30 on the list from our disabled programs who have needs. Those ages range from infants to 59.
“We are so appreciative of everyone in our region who graciously gives of their time and resources to help us make sure our clients have a bright spot during the holiday season,” Melissa said.
Sponsors range from individuals, churches, businesses, and civic groups. They adopt a participant, purchase the gifts, wrap them, and drop them off at the TARCOG office. Melissa said each year there are additional sponsors who make monetary or gift card donations that staff uses to shop for those who are not adopted at the end of the campaign.
“We just try to make sure that everyone has a special gift because in many cases, it will be the only thing they will receive,” Melissa said.
She said there’s still time to participate. To sponsor someone, contact Amber Millimaki at amber.millimaki@tarcog.us or by calling 256-830-0818.
Sponsors will get a name and a list of up to three client wishes. We ask that gifts be wrapped and dropped off at the TARCOG Office, 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450, by the end of November.
Right on Main Street, in the heart of Rainsville, the city’s Senior Center is located in the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center where a walking trail and other amenities provide additional opportunities for the aging community.
Jim Smith, 82, is a regular on the walking trail.
“Four laps is a mile, and I try to do four to six of them just about every day,” he said. “I enjoy walking.”
Margaret McSpadden, who will be 85 on Nov. 22, said keeping up with exercise is just one of the reasons she enjoys going to the center.
“I walk and do as much exercise as I can because you know, there’s going to come a day when we can’t do these things any longer so it’s important,” Margaret said. “If I had to stay home all day and watch TV where it’s who killed who or people fussing and fighting all the time it would drive me crazy.”
Instead, Margaret joins a group of the ladies at the center where they play games and laugh.
Chicken Foot Dominoes at the Rainsville Senior Center
Chicken Foot a Favorite
“We’re a noisy group but we’re the old standbys here,” said Eleanor Ammons, 87, as a fast-paced game of Chicken-Foot Dominoes is underway with Margaret, Gail Benefield, 86, Janice Thomas, 63, and Wilda Wilborn, 91.
Wilda said she’s been going to the center “forever.”
“Look, I’m learning to drive again,” she said pointing at her new motorized scooter. “I gave up my car keys to get some new wheels.”
Her daughters take turns driving Wilda to the center.
“We all have fun, and we work every day — playing Chicken Foot,” Wilda said with a laugh. “Then we eat lunch and go home.”
A supportive environment
The friendship and laughter at the center helps Janice through the struggles she faces as a caregiver and with her own health.
“I’ve learned so much from this group,” Janice said. “Everyone here has a sweet, compassionate way about them. I just listen sometimes, and everyone works hard to get on each other’s level to communicate. There’s a real sense of spirituality here and it means a lot to me.”
Seeing familiar and smiling faces also helps, Janice said.
Gail said she believes getting out of the house and talking to others is important.
“We like to talk, have fund and act silly,” Gail said.
Music and puzzles
Puzzles and games at the Rainsville Senior Center
At a nearby table, J.D. Ellis, 87, and J.R. Richey, 80, are working on a puzzle. Wilda said they also have a job.
“Yeah, to tell us to quieten down,” Gail added.
J.D. and J.R. are steadily working on their puzzle strategy. When putting together puzzles at the center, they separate the colors in different cardboard trays. Then they start working to put pieces together on top of a white piece of paper before placing them into the puzzle.
“Hey, I got a piece to fit,” J.D. announced.
Puzzles isn’t all they do. J.D. plays guitar with as many as 10-15 other musicians who turn out on Tuesdays and Thursday.
“We have big crowds on those days,” J.R. said. “I don’t play but I’ll sing along.”
J.D. said he taught himself how to play guitar at the center.
“I didn’t start playing until I was 79,” J.D. said. “I bought a guitar, a book and a CD … but coming here I figured out that learning how to play in a group helps you learn a whole lot faster.”
Playing five hours a week at the senior center is always a highlight for him. The group plays music from 8 to 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.
Then there’s the games.
“We try to play where we’re needed if there’s not enough people to play a game,” J.D. said.
“And if it gets too quiet, we’ll make some noise,” J.R. added.
Why visit the senior center
Both said they’d like to see more people from the community join the fun.
“Some of us are getting older,” J.D. said.
“Well, we’re not getting any younger,” J.R. added. He said he started coming to the center after he got divorced in 2016.
“Being at home by myself was no fun, so I came by here,” J.R. said. “I think some have a misconception about it that this is a place to hook up, but that’s not what it is at all. We have a good time here.”
That doesn’t mean love doesn’t bloom from time to time.
Helen and Jim Smith met and got married at the Rainsville Senior Center.
Jim Smith met his wife Helen, 83 at the center.
“I’ve been coming here a long time, maybe 20 years,” Helen said. “I enjoy being with people. If you don’t associate with people you get to where you don’t want to be with nobody and that’s no way to live.”
She said she and Jim had known each other for years. After his wife died, his daughter brought him to the center to get him out of the house.
Eventually, Helen and Jim became a couple and had their wedding at the center.
A new manager
Denise Sharpley has been the manager at the center since April and already considers all of the people she serves at the center her family.
Denise Sharpley, manager of the Rainsville Senior Center
“For me, this job was heaven sent,” Denise said. “I’m a praying person and I really, really love socializing with the people here. I never thought I’d get so attached but everyone here is so sweet, you can’t help it.”
She’s excited about implementing some changes in the coming year that she hopes will engage more community members to check out the center. She already started by taking a group of 15 to the DeKalb County Health Fair in recent weeks. They had a Halloween party and are now getting ready for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
“We’re looking to do a yard sale with the proceeds going to fund a group trip to the Galaxy of Lights at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens,” she said.
She’s thinking about a painting class and talking with participants about what new activities they would enjoy.
“They are family to me, and we’d like to see our family grow,” Denise said. “Anyone interested or who knows someone who might enjoy the center should just stop by. I will welcome them with open arms and encourage them to join our family.”
A first-time visit
That’s exactly what 80-year-old Peggy Pruitt did on a recent Friday.
“We’ve talked about doing it for so long and just haven’t done it until today,” Peggy said of visiting the center. “We moved here five years ago, and I’ve found it hard to meet people here.”
Visitors Michael Hagans and Peggy Pruitt talk with Denise Sharpley at the Rainsville Senior Center.
Her son Michael Hagans, 57, woke up to make it happen on this day.
“I told her today is the day and here we are,” Michael said. He plans to visit with her, much like Wilda’s daughter’s do.
“This is a great resource, especially for people who may not have family in the area,” Michael said.
Peggy said she enjoyed her first visit.
“We met a few people and had lunch,” Peggy said. “I’ll be back.”
Rainsville is a city of 5,000 residents on top of Sand Mountain in DeKalb County.
Denise said anyone interested may stop by at the center, located in the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center, 115 Main St. W, or call 256-638-4343.
Jim SmithEleanor AmmonsJanice ThomasWilda WilbornMargaret McSpaddenGail BenefieldJ.D. EllisJ.R. RicheyHelen Smith
A new cookbook is in the works by the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and all 12 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) throughout the state aiming to showcase delicious recipes from each county.
“We are excited about this cookbook that will highlight some of the best cooks and recipe collectors in the TARCOG region,” said Director of Aging Programs Sheila Dessau-Ivey. “I love to cook, and I know many in the region do as well so we’re looking forward to seeing some great recipes and the stories behind them.”
What kinds of recipes?
Judging will occur at local and county levels to determine which recipes will make it into the new cookbook. Then at state level, a final judging will determine the best recipes in the state for the following categories:
Breads, Loaves & Muffins
Main Dishes
Side Dishes
Desserts (Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Bars & Candy)
This & That (Miscellaneous)
How to submit
In the TARCOG region, Sheila said submission forms will be available at senior centers in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties, where each center will have its own competition to determine which recipes win in each category for the first round of judging.
From there, a countywide judging is anticipated through each Council on Aging, in which one winner in each category will be selected for inclusion into the cookbook. The TARCOG region will have up to 25 featured recipes in the cookbook, Sheila said.
Two “feature” recipes will be highlighted from each AAA. These recipes will include additional information on the recipe, the originator of the recipe and its legacy. Photos and stories will be published in the cookbook.
A state event
And there’s more. There are plans for those who make it into the cookbook to have an opportunity to prepare their recipe for an ADSS event in Montgomery for the members of the State Legislature, who will vote on their favorite recipes to determine state winners.
When it will be ready for sale
The cookbook will be ready for sale during Older Americans Month in May 2025, Sheila said. The name of the cookbook has not yet been revealed.
“This is a great way to capture some of our family traditional recipes that have been handed down through generations to those which were put together by creative cooks,” Sheila said. “We’re looking forward to seeing all of them.”
Submission deadline
Deadlines for submission will be set in each individual county until mid-December. Anyone with questions may contact TARCOG at 256-830-0818.
TARCOG is planning a virtual discussion with statewide military installation leaders and other municipal and regional partners to share details about the Joint Land Use Study and Implementation Project for Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
Executive Director Michelle Jordan said the meeting will showcase work funded by two grants from the U.S. Department of Economic Adjustment, now called the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC).
The first grant provided the City of Huntsville funding for a joint land use study of Redstone Arsenal and its contiguous boundaries with multiple municipal and county jurisdictions that started in 2017. That was followed by an implementation grant to TARCOG for items identified in the study.
“Now we want to share what we learned through the process with other military installations who may be interested in doing something similar,” Michelle said. “This particular grant is available to help military installations remain viable and protected as their contiguous cities continue to grow and thrive.”
It’s been a great process, she said, to make sure that everyone works together to get what they need.
“As part of the implementation phase of the grant, we wanted to have a statewide forum to share how we went about securing and executing our OLDCC grant with other entities throughout the state,” she added.
Officials who attend will also hear from representatives from grant partners on the project including:
Redstone Arsenal
Matrix Design Group, a planning, engineering, environmental and transportation consultant
We know how dedicated our staff works to — enrich the lives of those who are aging and disabled in our community — AND assist municipal and county governments to make our area an even better place to live.
You can vote for TARCOG at the link below in the Services Section..
Artist rendering of TARCOG’s planned new office building.
A vacant one-acre lot of Alabama red clay on Corporate Drive in the Mid City District will transform over the next year to feature a new 25,000 square foot office building for TARCOG.
“We are very excited to have reached this point,” said Executive Director Michelle Jordan. “It’s taken nearly two years of thoughtful planning, but we believe the building plan is perfect for our needs now and into the future.”
About the building
Architect Les Tillery, principal with Fuqua Architects, said the modern two-story building will be constructed of structural steel, brick and metal siding.
“We have been working in harmony with the design guidelines and standards at Mid City to complement the aesthetic standards set by them,” Les said.
Once started, construction should take a year to complete.
What’s the location?
TARCOG’s new building will be built across the street from the Dynetics Mid City Campus at 4991 Corporate Drive NW. The location is about three blocks east of TARCOG’s old building site, which was on Research Park Drive, next to the Orion Amphitheater. The street name changes to Corporate Drive at the Avocent Way intersection.
Why it’s needed?
TARCOG sold their former home located at 5075 Research Drive to the City of Huntsville in 2023 as a part of the overall development of Mid City. Since June of 2023, TARCOG’s offices have been temporarily located at 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450. Once the TARCOG staff was settled into its temporary office, plans for a new building started, and ground will be broken soon signaling a new beginning for the 56-year-old agency.
Lee Terry, TARCOG’s director of Economic Planning and Development discussed plans for the new office building with staff.TARCOG staff asks questions about the new office building, Lee Terry, director of Economic Planning and Development explains details of the new facility.
How long have you been at TARCOG and what do you do?I have been with TARCOG for three and a half years. I maintain a case load of about 35 people, conducting monthly home visit assessments and coordinate services for them.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I originally wanted to be a choreographer and pursue a career in dance.
What do you hope to accomplish within the next year? Within the next year, I hope to get my license for my master’s degree and move up into a higher position.
Who is your hero and why? My Hero is my Nana. She raised me from a little girl, and she has been my rock, my everything. My Nana has always been there for me, even when I probably didn’t deserve it.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? A day of wellness in a cabin in the woods where no one could reach me.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? Choose yourself and set boundaries. It is not selfish, it’s healthy and it’s okay to say “no!”
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? The most daring thing I have ever done was to move from New York to Huntsville with my son — far away from family.
Who knows you the best? My Nana and my best friend.
What would you do if you won the lottery? Spread the wealth to my closest friends and take them on a much-needed vacation.
Friends gather at the Robert “Bob” Harrison Senior Center in North Huntsville.
Whether you want to take a walk, swim, unwind in a hot tub, use exercise equipment, socialize, or enjoy a nutritious meal, all of this — and more — is available to residents of North Huntsville at the Robert “Bob” Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center.
The Harrison Center stands out as a unique senior center in North Alabama. Like other centers in the region, it offers free nutritious meals and informative programs, but it goes further with its wellness center. For just $15 per month, members have access to a gym, pool, hot tub, exercise classes, engaging activities, field trips, and special classes.
With around 600 active members, the center is led by Deitrick Smart, who has served as director for the past year and a half. Open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the center sees an average of 150 to 250 visitors daily, with 35 receiving hot meals. On Soul Food Thursdays, meals are available for purchase at $5 each, though quantities are limited.
Every month, the center hosts a birthday celebration and for October, Lela Crutcher was recognized as the “most seasoned” as she turned 85 on Oct. 19.
“I feel good,” Lela said. “I’ve been coming here since they opened, we were on Blue Spring Road at first, but this is a place to come and socialize and be celebrated.”
On a sponsored lunch day, Mary Cable, 90, is taking up lunch tickets in the buffet line because she likes to keep her hands busy.
“I enjoy the people here and meeting new people,” Mary said. “I like to exercise and play Bingo. I’m old but I’m still doing what I can.”
From left, seniors participate in exercise class and strength training at the Robert “Bob” Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center.
Keeping seniors active
Deitrick said he likes to focus on keeping seniors active, which is right in his element since he has degrees in health education, recreation and sports.
“Research continues to show that staying fit provides a better quality of life in the long run,” he said. “Strength training is important as you age to keep you strong and to build muscle.”
Deitrick Smart, director at the Bob Harrison Center.
Deitrick said keeping a healthy mindset is important. He’s talked to people who think once you retire you stop. “But not here. People are coming every day when the center opens at 7:30 a.m. to go to the gym.”
People enjoy playing Bingo and cards and participating in Arts and Crafts like sewing, but from walking to working out, staying fit stays top of mind.
Elisha Wynn, 77, and his wife Jennifer Wynn, 76, love the center being five minutes from their home.
“We enjoy the walking track,” Elisha said.
Eutiquio Martinez, will be 91 on Halloween Day. He and wife Alicia, 85, have been members for three years.
“We use all of the facilities to work out and stay fit,” he said. “And then there’s the friendships we have with so many people. We have so many commonalities, we’re the same age and we communicate very well.”]
Eddie Turner, 79 and ¾, said he holds member number 29. Or maybe it’s 35, but he remembers Bob Harrison recruiting him to come to the center when it first opened.
Card games like Big Whist and socialization are important.
“And exercise doesn’t hurt anyone,” Eddie added.
Beverly Bryant Redrick, 75, has been a member since it first opened but she didn’t really start visiting the center until she retired.
“I’d get up and didn’t want to come and I’m still that way but once I get here, I’m fine and I enjoy it,” Beverly said.
She goes to the gym every day, plays Bingo on Tuesdays, does chair aerobics on Mondays and Wednesdays and line dancing on Fridays.
“We have a wonderful (line dancing) teacher and I’m not the youngest but I’m not the oldest and it’s a lot of fun,” Beverly said.
Rebecca Bradshaw, 71 years young, has been coming over a year for her health and she encourages everyone she meets to join her.
“I don’t get paid or get any stock to help promote the place,” she laughed. “But I love this place and like to encourage others to come because I try to come five days a week, do yoga, strength training, Tai Chi, circuit training, water aerobics and the meals.”
Amenities
Nestled in the picturesque Cedar Point neighborhood off Pulaski Pike, at the foothills of the Wade Mountain Nature Preserve, the 20,000 square foot center sits on about 48 acres. It lives up to its name with the following amenities:
Heated swimming pool and hot tub with handicapped access
Water aerobics
Water yoga
Basic swimming classes
Indoor rubberized track
Outdoor nature walking trail
Strength training
Exercise equipment including:
pneumatic strength-training machines
treadmills
exercise bicycles
upper body recumbent cycles
total body recumbent steppers
elliptical trainers
Chair exercise
Chair yoga
Flat-screened televisions members can watch as they exercise
Arts and crafts studio with classes including:
basic sewing
needlecraft
crocheting
quilting
drawing
water coloring
gardening
Computer lab
Nutritional Lunch Program
TARCOG presents programs geared to helping seniors in connect with senior services
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System teaches enrichment programs on health, education, and finance.
An outdoor pavilion
From left, seniors are happy to be at the Robert “Bob” Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center, enjoying a Soul Food Thursday and working in the Arts and Craft Room.
The center’s history
The center’s founder, Bob Harrison, who died in 2017, served as the Madison County Commissioner for District 6 for several years. He had a vision for the “graying” community of Northwest Huntsville and worked to obtain funding for the namesake 20,000 square foot center, which officially opened in February 2013.
Madison County Commissioner Violet Edwards, District 6
In 2020, Violet Edwards was elected to the Madison County Commission for District 6, and she took the torch and assumed the leadership of sustainment and progression for the center. She procured 21.53 acres of land adjoining the center’s property to enlarge the campus’ footprint, bringing the total acreage to approximately 48 acres.
“Before I came here for the first time, I was told it was a magical place,” Violet said. “And you know what, it was true. From the minute you walk through the front door, there is no depression or sadness but there is friendship and fellowship.”
Anyone living in District 6 qualifies for free transportation to and from the center, all that’s required is a stop by the center’s front desk to get on the list.
The District 6 boundaries are primarily North Central Urban District that includes Alabama A&M. Primarily Governors Drive and University Drive, north on Rideout Road to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, Bob Wade Lane to the north and then south along the Alabama A&M University ridge to Meridian Street to Holmes Avenue
Wellness center members are allowed to bring guests, age 40 and older, who must sign a waiver each visit and pay a $5 fee. They must sign a waiver and pay $5.00 for each visit.
A new cookbook is in the works by the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and all 12 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) throughout the state aiming to showcase delicious recipes from each county.
