At Mama Angie’s Casa De La Amistad, there is dancing and dominoes, as well as exercise and education.
But what keeps older adults, like Luc Martinez, coming back is community.
“I just come here to have fun,” says Martinez.
She is a member of the senior center but also gives back.
“I volunteer myself. I teach English as a second language,” says Martinez. “When you hear people saying, I learn, you feel so happy.”
Mama Angie’s Casa De La Amistad opened in 1988.
“Casa De La Amistad, which translates to ‘Friendship House,’ that’s what this center is for our community,” says Michael Toledo, President and CEO of Centro Hispano.
It’s part of Centro Hispano, which Toledo says has been serving the Greater Reading community for 60 years.
“The majority of the seniors that come here do come from Latino backgrounds,” he says. “It’s where our older adults come to engage.”
Toledo adds that seniors in the community can participate in a number of health and wellness activities and share meals with friends.
Yajaira Stone teaches older adults about nutrition.
“At that age, you have to eat healthy,” says Yadira Garrido, a resident of Reading, PA.
“Having a place and people that they trust where they can come is beneficial,” says Yajaira Stone, Director of Human Services for Centro Hispano.
She also helps with other services at the center.
“Something as simple as translating a letter or helping them complete a documentation or find a resource, you see the peace that it brings in understanding something,” she says.
Group exercise happens three times a week.
“Everyone here at the Hispanic Center is bilingual, bicultural,” says Toledo.
“I feeling so comfortable and I don’t want to be at home,” says Garrido.
Breakfast and lunch are served daily.
“We make sure that the meals that we serve for our seniors have a blend of both American and Latin cuisine,” says Toledo.
The center sees up to 150 people a day.
“A lot of our participants live alone,” says Stone. “They really lean on each other to kind of get through the day.”
“I make friends here,” says Garrido.
“I love them with my heart. I love them,” says Martinez.
“All those little activities we do have a purpose,” says Stone. “Gives them a little bit of peace, happiness and joy.”
“I love it,” says Garrido.
Mama Angie’s Casa De La Amistad Senior Center
Centro Hispano Hispanic Center
Centro Hispano CASA Senior Center
25 N. 2nd Street
Reading, PA, 19601
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