At the Arizona YWCA, Metropolitan Phoenix, we believe people have the same basic needs as at any age — the need to laugh and have fun, to explore and learn, to live life to its fullest.
That’s why the importance of activities at senior centers — cannot be exaggerated.

As our extreme summer heat is upon us, we will be providing some “cool” activities at the center. Come in to get out of the heat; especially when that activity includes ice cream.  I mean who doesn’t like ice cream? While many of us are venturing out on vacation, remember that many seniors are alone at home not able to partake in such activities. The heat is brutal here in Arizona and we will have activities to entice our seniors to come in and get out of the heat.

Please be reminded that there are senior citizen’s in our community that do not have a/c or are not using it adequately due to the higher cost of electricity. Check on your elderly neighbors and make sure they have some necessities available in case of an emergency. Do they have extra water, batteries, and canned food items? Are they on oxygen? Have they contacted their utility company to make them aware of the need to be prioritized in case of an outage? These are some of the issues the Meals on Wheels driver can address. Per our most recent survey (Jan. 2017) 85% of our Meals on Wheels clients report the meal they receive from the YWCA is their main meal of the day. 43% report it is their only meal of the day. That means most of them have nobody else checking in on them every day.

Depression, isolation and loneliness know no season.

So, get out of the heat and come into the YWCA Valley West Center or Glendale Community Center to enjoy health presentations, exercise and wellness classes, crafting activities or just socializing with friends. Stay for a delicious, nutritious meal that may even include ice cream!