Eileen Bartlett To Manage OCO Senior Dining, Activity Center In Fulton

FULTON, NY – Trinity Engle, program services coordinator with Oswego County Opportunities’ Senior Services Division, announced that Eileen Bartlett has been named manager of OCO’s Dining and Activity Center for seniors in Fulton.

Engle noted that Bartlett, a Certified Nurses Aide, has extensive experience working with seniors.

“Eileen has been working closely with seniors for more than 20 years and has an excellent understanding of their needs and abilities. She brings with her a new level of energy and enthusiasm to the Fulton Center and I’m confident that Eileen’s balance of persistence and creativity will bring new excitement to the Fulton Senior center,” said Engle.

As center manager, Bartlett is responsible for a variety of duties such as; managing the volunteers, maintaining Department of Health food service regulations, overseeing the preparation and serving of meals, attending to the welfare of homebound clients through telephone calls and arranging for friendly home visits, and creating and implementing a schedule of events and activities.

She will also be very active educating the community about the site’s many programs and conducting outreach to increase participation at the site.

“The Dining and Activity Center Manager job is a unique position,” added Engle. “They have to wear many different hats in that role. They need to feel comfortable with public speaking and represent their centers in the community. They also must be comfortable dealing with diverse levels of disability and functionality as dictated by the needs of the seniors that attend the center. At the same time they need to be a mentor, a support system, and a recreation director. However, as our center managers will tell you, it is an extremely rewarding job. In a culture that focuses on youth, it is refreshing to get to be able to spend your day with senior citizens.”

Bartlett is looking forward to her duties as dining and activity center manager and making the Fulton center a vital part of her community.

“I truly enjoy working with seniors. I appreciate the opportunity to touch their lives and become a positive force in their life. Our Fulton Dining and Activity Center helps keep our seniors from becoming home bound. It gives them the opportunity to entertained, visit with other, make new friends, and enjoy a hot, healthy meal,” said Bartlett.

Engle echoed those thoughts on the role the site plays in the community.

“The motto of our Senior Program is “more than a meal” and no where is this more evident than at our dining and activity centers. The Fulton community has the second highest percentage of senior citizens in poverty in Oswego County. Our Fulton Center provides a place where seniors can go and receive a nutritious meal at no cost. In addition, the center provides a variety of other benefits such as recreation, health and wellness activities, exercise, and arts and crafts programs, as well as pertinent information on topics that are important to them, from Medicaid options to tips on fall prevention and more,” explained Engle.

Under Bartlett’s direction, Engle anticipates that the Fulton Center will improve upon its current offerings and keep the program moving forward.

“Eileen will be adding not only more activities, but a wider variety of activities. We are very aware that those who are becoming seniors may be looking for a different type of experience than we have provided in the past. Eileen will introduce more programming that will reflect the wants of all of our seniors, including the younger ones. One example of this is the addition of the Nintendo Wii Gaming System that provides seniors with activities for both their mind and their body. Our Fulton Dining and Activity Center is large enough to accommodate many seniors and offers plenty of room for physical activities. It has unlimited potential and I am looking forward to seeing Eileen take advantage of that and provide our seniors with a rewarding experience that they will truly enjoy, ” said Engle.

Located in the city of Fulton Municipal Building on South First Street, OCO’s Senior Dining and Activity Center serves seniors in the greater Fulton area Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bartlett and her volunteer staff welcome adults age 60 and above to partake in fun social activities and enjoy a hot nutritious lunch.

For more information on OCO’s Dining and Activity Center in Fulton, or OCO’s Senior Services Division, call Engle at 598-4712. missing or outdated ad config

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