Expanding Programs For Seniors + Teens

Senior loneliness is a national problem and communities need to do more to engage them. According to a 2023 study by the National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA), 34% of adults age 50-80 reported feeling isolated in the past year, 37% reported feeling a lack of companionship, and 33% reported infrequent contact (once a week or less) with people from outside of their home. In addition to the detrimental effect on their general well-being, loneliness among senior citizens has a negative impact on their mental, cognitive, and physical health.

While not as significantly studied, loneliness and isolation is a rising problem among teens, as well, with a significant correlation between increased feelings of loneliness and isolation and likelihood of anxiety and depression.

So what can the City do to help these two underserved demographics?

The City-owned McHenry Recreation Center houses a 4,500 square foot fitness center, two dance/exercise studios, and an open-use community room. As of late November 2024, there are 1,284 ongoing monthly members, of which only 813 are McHenry residents, or about 3% of the City’s population. The Recreation Center consistently operates at a loss and requires additional funding from the City.

While not intended to generate a profit, it is difficult to justify additional taxpayer funding for a Recreation Center that is only used by such a small percentage of the population. But, if repurposed to benefit underserved segments of the population, in this case senior citizens and teens, the additional funding the City annually provides the Recreation Center could be justified. Expanding programs for senior citizens and teens can also be done with limited interruption to current users of the Recreation Center by designating one of the two dance/exercise studios to senior citizens in the morning until 2:00pm and to teens from 3:00pm through the evening.

Activities for senior citizens can include hour-long blocks of anything from low-impact dance to card games to self-defense. Activities for teens can include hour-long blocks of anything from painting workshops to exercise classes to collaborative art projects. Programs should start with a loose structure, with each group eventually designing and leading their own programs in a cooperative environment. In essence, residents will be forming social clubs centered around shared interests and organizing activities both within the Recreation Center and outside of it. The benefit of this type of program structuring is it increases community involvement and fosters a sense of belonging among participants, helping to alleviate both the loneliness and isolation both groups face.

These types of programs should be viewed as providing a “third place”, a space outside of your home or work/school for the purpose of social connection by building community and fostering relationships. Since senior citizens and teens typically have limited disposal income, it is essential that these programs be free to residents. As the space is already available and activities should be lead by volunteers (typically an easier ask when the programs are free to participate in), this initiative would have limited, if any, costs and short-term implementation.

Once the senior citizen and teen programs are established, crossover programs should be explored. Some of the benefits of intergenerational engagement is a feeling of being appreciated and valued for senior citizens and building confidence through non-judgmental relationships and reducing negative stereotypes of aging for teens.

If these programs are successful, the City can look into purchasing from, or ideally partnering with, the School District to repurpose Landmark School into a Community Center. Because it is a school, the layout of multiple classrooms is ideal for a Community Center. Having a larger space would allow for more varied and expanded activities, with a particular focus on fostering intergenerational learning and skill-sharing programs, such as gardening, music, cooking…. By designating the building as an all-age free Community Center, the City could look into funding the purchase and rehabilitation of Landmark through government grants and charitable donations. With this initiative, the City would not only be preserving a historic building, but also be making a long-term investment in the well-being of the residents.