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.
