Donate now to support The Gathering Place

Our mission is to provide healthy and active lifestyles for people who are 50 plus.

As 2022 is coming to a close, we want to thank you for all your kindness and support throughout our first full year being opened. What an amazing year of huge growth it has been for The Gathering Place 50 Plus Community Center. Our membership has grown to just about 800 members as of the date of this letter. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think this Center would have such a positive impact on so many people in our aging population. We have added so many activities, events, and programs to keep everyone busy and learning new things.

I have personally witnessed so many positive transformations of members who started with us after either losing a spouse or partner, facing the difficult role of caretaker for a loved one, or finding themselves with limited options to get out into the community. The Gathering Place has become the place for anyone age 50 and above to come to one place to find support, friendship, and a myriad of activities and programs that help people to remain independent and healthy for the rest of their lives. Our new Healthy for Life Wellness program’s main philosophy is that no matter what their age, members have the potential to optimize their health and well-being in mind, body, and spirit using our multi-part approach. Regular exercise and physical activity provide numerous and far-reaching health benefits to older adults, including minimizing biologic and physiological changes that accompany aging. Of course, being healthy is not just about our physical exercising; it has several areas that need to work together to truly create a healthy lifestyle. In our Healthy for Life Program, we focus on all areas including physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, vocational, and environmental. There are three important parts of our Healthy for Life Wellness Program’s approach: Engage, Educate, and Evolve.

We continue to work toward making The Gathering Place the place to go to meet all the aging adult’s needs. We have been very fortunate to have added support groups, arts and craft classes, exercise classes, meditation classes, trips, as well as the many events and celebrations we have throughout the year. This important work is funded largely through the support of generous donors who contribute to our annual campaign. This year’s goal is $50,000, which will allow The Gathering Place to continue providing much needed services to all of our aging population and allow expansion of our health and wellness classes, which are some of the most popular activities we offer.

In order to continue making a difference in the lives of the aging population we serve, it is vital for this year’s annual campaign to be a success. Can we count on you to donate to this important cause? By making a tax-deductible donation to our annual campaign, you will be directly contributing to the support of our mission of providing healthy and active lifestyles for people who are 50 plus. Moreover, charitable giving helps those in need or support a worthy cause and it can also lower your income tax expense. Eligible donations of cash are tax deductible to 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations, such as the Gathering Place.

If you would like to make a gift, please visit our website at schoharieseniors.org and click on the “donate” button at the top of the page. If you would prefer to mail a donation, please send it to The Gathering Place 50 Plus Community Center, 127 Kenyon Road, Cobleskill, NY 12043. Please make checks payable to “The Gathering Place”. Please consider making a donation of any size to help us reach our fundraising goal and help support The Gathering Place. Every penny counts and no donation is too small.

Any and all support is greatly appreciated. We are so blessed to be able to bring The Gathering Place 50 Plus Community Center to a reality. Thank you for being an important part of our family and our story.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Witkowski, Executive Director