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Like A Family

When more than 35 members of the Chesterfield Senior Center met for a reunion lunch at Joe's Inn, Martha Dockery kept hearing the same comment over and over: the family is together again. And now they have their own "home" at Episcopal Church of Our Savior on Stigall Drive.

The church was looking for an outreach opportunity, and the center was looking for a home. Several members of the small church are also members of the center and saw a good fit. The church wasn't being used during the day, but now that the center has moved in, it's alive with exercise classes, bingo, card games and occasional lunches.

Chesterfield Senior Center members have stayed together since they lost their original home at Featherstone on Huguenot Road in summer 2006. A satellite group of the Senior Center on Monument Avenue, they had to leave that location when the parent organization experienced financial problems.

Since then, they have been at a number of locations "trying to recreate what we had before," said Chesterfield Senior Center member Evelyn Collier . Collier is grandmother to Jeff Davoud who was instrumental in getting his family-owned business, Old Dominion Insulation, to provide the funds and materials to renovate the church to accommodate the center.

Louise Swegle , who is in charge of publicity for the group, summed up the search for a home: "We are a close-knit group - we were after this the whole time."

A tour of the church shows off an enlarged entryway with new furniture, remodeled bathrooms that are now handicap accessible, a new kitchen, fresh paint on the walls and a welcoming feeling. There is a flat screen television in the sanctuary for the center's popcorn and movie nights.

"I wish you could have been here at Christmas," said treasurer Diana Kennon . "We had a Christmas tea and a breakfast."

"It's been a miracle. It's so needed. Many [seniors] have moved here to be with their children," explained center member Darlene Cutts . The center is a gathering place where seniors can meet others, socialize and share their lives.

The seniors pay for utilities and other costs at the church but no rent. Currently, the organization has no dues, but may start charging for exercise classes, the single largest regular expenditure.

Laurence Dockery is a member of the center and the church. He'd been on the lookout for a new home for the center. "I took my camera out and took pictures of various places for rent," but nothing worked out. "This is a close-knit group," he added, "like family."

The center has a busy calendar with low impact and Sit and Be Fit exercise classes, water aerobics at Sheltering Arms, Coffee and Chat every Wednesday and bingo and cards. There is a noon lunch once a month, breakfast out and other social events. The group also takes trips. More than 60 went on the last river cruise, and many enjoy the trips to Fredericksburg to see shows.

During the center's time without a home, leaders were appointed to find locations to hold each activity. The seniors are planning an afternoon party for Elmcroft Pointe residents, one of the many locations that volunteered space for the senior activities.

Membership is in a state of flux right now since they have moved from the Bon Air area to the church, which is near Genito and Hull Street roads, but there are around 100 members. The center's membership is growing as more people hear of their new location, and many of the Bon Air members are coming back.

The center started on Monument Avenue and was using a building owned by the Junior League. The Featherstone location on Huguenot Road was a satellite site for Chesterfield County and south Richmond. When that closed, the seniors tried various other locations, but nothing was quite the right fit.

The group is grateful to the late Dorothy Charles who donated the land for the church and had always wanted it to be an integral part of the community.

"Charles spent many years trying to get a senior center established. Her dream is being answered," said Dockery, a member of both the church and the center.

Church of Our Savior has a small congregation with only 25-35 members and is looking forward to a higher visibility. In addition to Sunday school and a regular Sunday service, there is also a Spanish service every Sunday, and AA and NA meetings in the evenings.

w Check out stories in latest edition of the Chesterfield Observer , a weekly publication in Chesterfield County.