CULLMAN, Ala. – The sound of laughter and chatter returned to Cullman County senior centers Tuesday morning after they were closed in March 2020. The joy was more than apparent at the Cullman Senior Center as over 40 seniors participated in the scheduled activities.
Cullman County Commission Chairman Jeff Clemons came out to welcome back and visit with the center’s members-–many of whom had not seen friends or been out of their homes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Thank God we’re back!” he exclaimed. The seniors replied with a hardy “AMEN!!” and thunderous cheers and applause.
He continued, “We’ve got a lot of great things in store for 2021 for our seniors across Cullman County. I want you to know that I love every one of you and I will always be here and support you every way I can. Thank you so much for coming. Let’s move forward now and this is truly a blessing!”
As the seniors enjoyed a spirited penny-auction, Clemons’ happiness was on full display. He said, “I am so thankful we can hopefully get back to normal. We’ve got to be working on our Christmas party. We are trying to find a big location for it in December. You have to prepare for these events now. You can’t wait until the last minute.”
Cullman Senior Center director Kristie McCarn was thrilled for the seniors to see the renovations that took place in their absence. New paint, wallpaper, kitchen cabinets and new countertops are just a few of the upgrades the seniors were happy to see, though they paled in comparison to seeing each other.
McCarn spoke about the importance of the senior centers opening Tuesday. She said, “We are just super excited they are able to come back and enjoy being together. It’s like family and they haven’t got to see each other in so long.”
Are you happy to be back? “YES!! Yes, yes, yes!! TV gets old, four walls get old, looking out the road to see who is going by gets old. Missing our friends and some that have gone. I couldn’t believe some of them were gone,” Glenda Cummings shared. The Cullman center lost at least 12 members since the shutdown began.
This Friday, June 4, the center will have a fun welcome back party with Sheriff Matt Gentry and the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office providing grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The calendar for the month of June is filled with awesome activities including live music, games, singing, devotion and food.
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