September Is National Senior Center Month — Come See What The Senior Center Has For You

Every September, more than 10,000 senior centers across the country pause to celebrate something easy to take for granted: a place to belong. National Senior Center Month is a chance to recognize the participants, staff, volunteers, and communities that make centers like ours the special places they are. Aster Aging is marking the occasion with a full calendar of programs at both our Red Mountain and Mesa Downtown Senior Centers, and an open invitation to anyone who hasn't stopped by yet.

A Tradition Nearly a Century in the Making

Senior centers have been gathering spaces since the 1940s, when the first ones opened their doors as places for older adults to connect, stay active, and support one another. In 1973, the Older Americans Act formally recognized what those early centers had already proven: that community and connection are essential to helping older adults thrive, not just survive. More than 80 years after the first centers opened, that goal hasn't changed one bit.

At Aster's Senior Centers, you can see that history playing out every single day. It looks like friends catching up over coffee in the café. A favorite fitness class that's become a weekly ritual. A hot lunch shared with familiar faces. A new hobby discovered in one of the activity rooms. These moments add up to something significant: a sense of connection and support that shapes how someone experiences their day, their week, their next chapter of life.

What's Happening This Month

All month, both of our Senior Centers offer a full slate of programs for you to try. Sign up for something new, revisit an old favorite, or simply set an intention to stop in and enjoy a book, a puzzle, or a good conversation. There's no wrong way to participate.

Along with senior centers nationwide, we're celebrating the many ways these institutions support older adults — through:

• Social connection — the kind that comes from a shared table, a regular class, or simply being recognized when you walk through the door
• Fitness and wellness activities — from movement classes to health and wellness programming designed with older adults in mind
• Arts and creative programs — a chance to learn, make, and express something new
• Essential resources — the everyday support that helps older adults stay independent and active in the community they call home

New to Aster? September Is the Perfect Time to Visit

If you haven't been to one of our Senior Centers lately — or ever — this is your sign. Check out our activity calendar, join us for lunch, or just stop by the café and say hello. New faces are always welcome, and our staff and volunteers will be glad to show you around.

Both Centers offer a daily, nutritionally balanced lunch, along with regularly scheduled live music and movies, art, exercise, and dance classes, education and health & wellness programs, and bingo games — all in a welcoming setting built for older adults like you.

Aster Senior Center at Mesa Downtown 247 North Macdonald, Mesa, AZ 85201 480-962-5612 | cbs@asteraz.org Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (excluding holidays)

Aster Senior Center at Red Mountain 7550 East Adobe Street, Mesa, AZ 85207 480-218-2221 | cbs@asteraz.org Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (excluding holidays)

Want to Get Involved? Volunteer With Us

None of what happens at our Senior Centers is possible without the people who show up to make it happen. Volunteers answer phones, greet guests, give tours to new participants, and serve coffee and smiles in the café. If National Senior Center Month has you thinking about how you'd like to give back, we'd love to have you. Fill out a short volunteer inquiry to begin your volunteer journey today.

About Aster Aging

Aster Aging is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving our local communities since 1979. We provide a full continuum of services to help older adults and their families navigate aging with independence and dignity, impacting thousands of older adults and their families in the East Valley through our core programs: In-Home Support, Meals on Wheels, Outreach & Social Services, and Senior Centers.

Our mission is to empower and support East Valley older adults to remain independent and engaged in our communities. Our vision is for Aster Aging to be a leader in providing direct services and mobilizing resources that support the changing needs of our older adult population.