Westcott Community Center Continues to Serve Westcott Community Center Continues to Serve

Despite a loss of volunteers because of COVID, the Center is still thriving

Ian Unsworth: Thursday means bingo day at the Westcott Community Center, a place that’s been helping the East Side of Syracuse for decades. But there haven’t been as many friendly faces around to direct the games. Center director Joan Royle says volunteers haven’t been allowed due to COVID.

Joan Royle: We’ve had to be careful because of COVID and make sure that anyone coming into the center during the day are vaccinated, as are all of our older adults and as are all of our staff.

Unsworth: Because of 100% vaccination, the center is back to in-person events. Carolyn Wallace says Westcott’s renewed communtiy outreach has resulted in joyful residents.

Wallace: They are happy – they feel welcome. Everybody feels welcome, and with the feedback I’ve gotten, everybody loves to come because of the activities)

Unsworth:There’s daily meals, guest speakers, and so much more. And it benefits everyone involved.

Royle: Just the mere act of getting out of your house, moving around a little bit, and coming to the center, that’s really good for people)

Unsworth: So whether you’re looking for a friendly conversation, a good meal, or some old-fashioned fun, the Westcott Community Center is a place to be. Ian Unsworth, N-C-C News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Westcott Community Center is a staple of the East side of Syracuse. Open since a city fire station switched locations in the 1970s, it provides daily meals for the hungry, along with a food pantry every other Monday and different activities for the elderly. Executive director Joan Royle is very fond of the locale, saying, “We’re in a location where we have people that need assistance, and then other people that can assist the center.”

However, the pandemic has made things tough. When COVID-19 began, the center closed for a week, then re-opened, establishing remote programming for its older visitors. Meal and pantry drop-offs, text group chats and video calls all acted as a way for the center to stay in contact with the people who needed it most.

Now that everything is someone open, the center is allowing visitors back in, but can’t provide full service. Director Royle calls it a “hybrid” model. Staff provides pre-packaged lunches, and if people don’t feel comfortable entering the center, they can pick up their food at the door.

The main problem the pandemic has caused is a lack of volunteers. Not all volunteers can assist in the center, as the WCC guidelines now require proof of vaccination to help out. Since many of the program participants are elderly, they must be vaccinated as well. All staff members and visitors have to wear masks, and while this might lead to some conflict, it is for the safety of the elderly who are at the center on a daily basis.

However, Royle and company have loaded up on staff to assist in the day-to-day operations. On Thursdays, the staff are responsible for calling bingo, the favorite of the center’s regulars. The numbers come fast and furious, and if someone is to call bingo, they’ll be challenged by almost all in attendance.

 

 

Despite the changes brought upon by the pandemic, the staff of the Westcott Community Center are ready and willing to help. They’ll continue to serve the East side of Syracuse, just like they’ve done for over 50 years.

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