Meet Ron – A lively person full of strength and energy, Ron started coming to Grace Center in 2019 at age 54. Newer to Oregon, Ron’s Medicaid case manager suggested Grace Center to Ron as a place he could go to get out of the house, meet friends, do activities, and burn off some energy in the exercise program. Ron was living in an adult foster home at the time and was on the tail end of recovery from a series of strokes that occurred in his 40s. Ron’s adult foster home had four other residents but they were much older than Ron and less active so he needed a place to connect with others around his age and whom he could enjoy some shared experiences with. “I just needed to get out of the house and have some place to go.”
After attending Grace Center a few days per week, Ron quickly made many connections with both staff and fellow participants of all ages, including those his own age. Ron appreciated the age diversity in the program and mentioned that one of his favorite things was becoming friends with some of the older women at the center who reminded him of his mom. And having a good connection with the staff is always nice, especially when they “hook me up with Sriracha sauce at lunch time.”
While at the center, Ron particularly enjoys the morning activities focused on cognitive stimulation like the group crossword game and he also enjoys the group fitness classes such as standing balance and yoga. Ron accompanied Grace Center on our annual trip to the beach where we close the center, borrow buses, and take everyone to the beach for the day. Like his fellow bio feature, Julia, Ron enjoys attending the weekly Wellness Support Group for Grace Center participants but he particularly enjoys the option for weekly one-on-one counseling with the Wellness Group facilitator. Lastly, Ron wanted to make note that he really likes our salon services and regularly takes advantage of the complimentary hair cuts, pedicures and manicures. “The pampering services”, as he calls them. When asked what he would tell another person like him who is thinking about Grace Center but is not sure if it is the right fit, Ron’s advice was, “Just take a couple of days and check it out – spend some time at Grace Center because it might be more than what you think it is…There’s all ages of adults here and it’s a great way to meet people and have something to look forward to.”
