Seniors social program struggles with logistics and attrition problems

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Lovelighters light continues to flicker but it doesn’t burn as brightly as it use to. The group is being confronted with several issues they need help resolving, if the organization is going to continue.

The seniors have been meeting for over two decades, twenty-six years to be exact, according to the Lovelighters president, Winnie Trahan. The non-denominational group of seniors meets twice a month at Saint Simon & Jude Catholic Church centrally located in The Woodlands, on the first and third Tuesday of the month. A hot meal is provided on the first Tuesday, but due to meager funds, the seniors brown bag it on the third Tuesday.

“Naturally we get more seniors on the first Tuesday, than the third,” said Trahan.

The difficulty for many non-driving seniors to get to the semi-monthly social event, doesn’t justify attending when they can just eat the lunch they prepare, at home. Canvassing the room, the lunches consisted of cans of high-sodium Vienna sausages, a cold cut sandwich with processed lunch meat, carrot sticks and crackers...none brought a hot meal.

“Aside from getting a nutritious hot meal, the socialization with friends is every bit as beneficial,” said Carolyn Gerken, founder of A-Plus Caring, Community & Compassion, a 50(c)3 which focuses on the needs of seniors in the community. “Socialization prevents depression, and motivates the seniors to get out of the house, even if it’s just a couple of times a month.”

Gerken’s non-profit organization tries to provide an activity on a quarterly basis for attendees. In February, the organization made Valentines for each other. (See Lovelighters share the love for Valentine's Day

May’s activity included a photo op with hats and props, that enabled friends to take pictures together.

As expected, the number of seniors continues to dwindle through attrition, but as The Woodlands has grown, the organization has not grown proportionately.

“Many of them don’t drive, and depend on transportation to get to the event,” said community leader, Rich Jakovac, who took his mother to the event for many years. He laments that the number of seniors has dropped from over a hundred to approximately three dozen on average. “I saw how it helped my mother’s well-being. We just need to get more people interested in the program,” added Jakovac.

Three initiatives will increase their numbers:


Transportation for seniors to and from the social just twice a month.

A hot meal for the semi-monthly event to encourage the seniors to attend, and for nutritional purposes.

Interactive activities

Although Bingo is a long-standing tradition after the luncheon, a pre-lunch activity or demonstration is always welcomed to provide entertainment for the seniors. Randalls supermarket donates to the luncheon and the Bingo prizes in the form of non-perishable food products, staples, and desserts.

Ironically, a community originally established for senior living, has seen a shift to a younger demographic, one that would prefer not to think of aging until it reaches that point. In the meantime, the seniors appear to have become the forgotten generation.

See related link Where the love light gleams