Activities & Clubs

The Division for Senior Services is seeking new members, volunteers, and participants for the following clubs, activities and groups. Interested individuals should contact our office for more information.

Senior City Life Newsletter

Do you like to write, check out new activities in the City and surrounding suburbs, have some experience publishing a newsletter or journal or are just interested in working with a publication? Then this might be the perfect opportunity for you! We are looking for volunteers to help us publish our monthly newsletter!

Seniors of Faith

The Seniors of Faith is a new initiative targeted at seniors in our area churches. We are looking for seniors who want to assist with a variety of community projects designed to assist individuals in need and/or improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Buffalo's Living History Project - Buffalo: "People, Places & Things"

The Division for Senior Services is interested in capturing the memories, pictures, and life situations that are still "fresh memories" in the minds of our seniors. ;This is an exciting project and we need seniors to share their memories of the old neighborhoods, the city as it used to be, your countries of origin, and/or the life and times of days gone bye! Everyone has memories that we could use!

City Travel Club

Would you like to do a little traveling, take a few day trips? We have been informed by many of our seniors that they would be interested in taking a day trip to some of the different sights and attractions here in Western New York, or even beyond, however, they don't like to travel alone and/or would like to have a partner or traveling companion to talk to and enjoy the trip with. If this activity is of interest to you, please call our office and sign up for the "Travel Club" Volunteer to help plan the trips, research the destinations, meet to discuss the activities and just "get to know everybody"!

Senior Connect - the Warm House Project

In Buffalo, we have many seniors who are here without family, and for various reasons, many friends are no longer here. With Buffalo's long winter season, and our changing neighborhoods, the porch to porch, over the fence, neighbor to neighbor communication process that many of our seniors grew up with and counted on as a way of keeping in contact with their friends and neighbors, is gone! This has resulted in social isolation. And, social isolation is a major problem for our seniors!

The Warm House Project is a result of the nationwide NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) movement. The Warm House concept utilizes a small cadre' of volunteers (two or three in each group) who regularly visit and check on our elderly who are predominately "house-bound." If this type of volunteer activity is of interest to you, please call our office. You are needed!

Meeting Place

The Meeting Place is your “PM” program. By functioning in the late afternoon and early evening, the Meeting Place allows the members of this group, who work full or part-time jobs, or who are involved in “caregiving responsibilities, the opportunity to get that deserved respite’, and reconnect with friends and the community. Most planned activities will be:

• 5 until 9 p.m. (Unless an event requires more time) - Participants!
• Noon to 8 p.m. will be the general activity planning, or scheduling time for adults interested in becoming involved in this phase of programming.
• Activities will generally take place three (3) days per week (This can be expanded or reduced based on need and schedule, and interest of the group)
• Weekend activities only as scheduled.

Dinner

Most activities of the Meeting Place are scheduled with a “Dinner” or some type of snacks or meal. This allows the Meeting Place to hold specifically planned activities and events planned around, or included with a dinner/supper meal along with the social event.

Sometimes, the membership, or parts of the membership will have dinner in-house (wherever the location is set) and sometime the members will go “out” to dinner depending on the plan. The flexibility is what makes this concept attractive to the baby boomer population. “Dining” is not necessarily a constant, but a pleasant option.

The activity, the Meeting Place Information and activities will be posted on the City of Buffalo’s Senior Web-Page. As stated, the majority of the activities will take place between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. In winter months, activities will be limited to special events. Special Events will also have the possibility of being held on weekends (Saturday and/or Sunday if needed).

The City of Good Neighbors “Chain of Good Deeds

Buffalo, the “Queen City” of the great lakes is also called home to over two hundred and fifty-eight thousand New Yorkers. Buffalo is also known as the “City of Good Neighbors.” The Division of Senior Services proposes to activate an ancient but still very relevant concept of “barter.” 

Barter is a system of exchange that has been used for centuries; it precedes today’s system where “money” must precede thoughts, commitments and / or actions. We propose to use the system of barter, to serve as a community and intergenerational unifying principle, in forming what we will call a “Chain of Good Deeds.”

This project helps connect the existing community to the individuals living within it, and also, to each other. This project teaches caring and volunteerism, brotherhood and establishes a sense of community. It is educational in its approach, and participants will derive a healthy state of “well-being” from being involved. Young will see modeled behavior from their elders. In addition, it can be fun!

Participate

Anyone can become a link in this chain. There is only one qualifier; each person in the City will be entitled to, and encouraged to participate; but you have to give something to get something. All exchanges are monitored by the City of Buffalo’s Division of Senior Services.

The Voucher represents a commitment or a link in the chain; it becomes activated when linked and / or accepted by another. That single action begins the formation of the Chain. The process is initiated by activating their particular voucher.

Please fill out the attached Chain of Good Deeds Voucher. Explain your particular exchange. Give as much detail as possible; is there an age limit on your barter; is there a time limit involved; are there any physical limitations. If you need any clarifications, please contact Douglas Ruffin, Director of Senior Services 716-851-4115.