Resources

As I worked on my Vision Board for 2021, I searched for that all important key word – for me and for SeniorCenterCt.org. What one word was the best fit? What word would portray and define my path for 2021?

Many businesses and individuals pick one word that best describes how they want to be characterized and/or strive to achieve in the upcoming year.

Well, I wanted to do this as well but as much as I searched, I just could not find the right word. I kept at it. I would revisit and wander down the path of words I’d see from time to time. And yeah, there wasn’t ever quite the right fit until…

This week I was walking along the ocean in Westbrook for the second day in a row and as I let my mind wander, there it was – fortitude. Wow, I mulled it over. Said it out loud and knew it was the word I had been searching for.

FORTITUDE – courage in adversity. Isn’t this exactly what we all have been doing since COVID came to visit and did not leave just like an unwanted house guest. We all discovered that we have the strength of mind to endure a 2-week shelter in place that has turned into a year plus. We have discovered we have gumption, spunk, moxie and determination. We can and are surviving.

And as I traveled down 2020, I struggled just as many businesses did on whether SeniorCenterCt.org would survive or was it time to shut the doors and close down Jencks Network, LLC. There were no new sales happening and little money coming in. But the bills continued arriving. The question became “Is today the time to file for bankruptcy?”

But I also knew I have a product that is stunning and needed by so many.  Also, that as we come out of COVID I know other businesses are going to be looking for “new” ways to advertise.  That post COVID we all will be in a “new world” and SeniorCenterCt.org is in the best position ever to thrive and grow into the business I have always know it will be.

So, I reached out for grants, PPP, EIDL and anything else that might give me the money I needed to survive. And as I said “FORTITUDE” on the beach, I knew that is exactly what I have been doing. What I will continue to do as SeniorCenterCt.org grows in 2021. A new Senior Center is being added. A different calendar platform will be used. Other changes are in the works. I know that FORTITUDE is the strength and strong will that carries me patiently forward with firm courage.

This word – FORTITUDE —   reflects back at me as I read my 2021 Vision Board. It says – I will experience everyday humility, curiosity, courage and confidence. I will always ask “Why?” I will look for and see the clues.

Because I have the ability to carry on, because I and all of us who have survived COVID we all have  FORTITUDE!

And yes, you have been traveling this same journey even if your path looks a little different, we all have had the strength to bear through a pandemic and have the ability to carry on!! We have guts, grit, backbone and FORTITUDE!!

Marketing trends have been heading in new directions for a while but the COVID19 is really pushing that envelope into horizons we cannot even imagine. We currently are living, working, and shopping in ways we never dreamed of. And these new ways too will change quickly as we readjust to a whole new “normal” as we come out of this lockdown.

We will mourn the loss of many things, as we start consuming services and goods in different ways. We will be discovering what companies and businesses have survived. What new businesses have emerged.

Stopping for a coffee can be a good example. How many of us stopped daily for that great cup of Joe? Couldn’t live without it…. Until….. Our lives changed. The habit got broken because we were no longer leaving the house every day. The question becomes how many cups of coffee will that business sell as we all come out of this pandemic? Will the local shops even reopen?

Companies must adjust quickly if they plan to survive and be profitable over the next 5 years. Marketing trends have been heading in new directions for a while but the COVID19 is really pushing that envelope into horizons we cannot even imagine.

Trends show we will continue to hold virtual meetings which will become a more efficient use of time. We will socialize in every different ways. We have found we do not like social distancing so much. Clubs will pop up and memberships will increase. Facebook groups will evolve and start gathering in person. Established groups such as VFWs, The Elks, The Moose will attract new members. Senior Centers, the Y, Park n Rec and similar organizations will experience a surge in activity as people discover their new routines.

The public will spend months perhaps years looking for and discovering their new day to day habits. And when creating this new life, they will select the parts they liked and discard what they will not do again, and businesses need to be where the consumer can find them such as SeniorCenterCt.org. This collective site is trusted and contains trusted information. This cutting-edge resource is that place where users find what they are looking for, mark their calendars with activities and though clickable ads find services and products they are looking for. Plus, then can relay all this information to their family and friends.

Businesses need to:

• Be that trusted advisor/service/site/provider
• Strengthen existing customer relationships
• Identify real opportunities and shift accordingly
• pinpoint key priorities
• determine their brand and do extensive brand building so their company is easy to recognize
• Be ready for the recovery

And all businesses need to be very aware of the senior population. As a group they will be for the most part the least affected by all of this. For the most part their income will continue to be very stable. And they still will be purchasing and consuming at the rate they were.

Resources like SeniorCenterCt.org will grow in popularity as the senior population, their friends and families are looking to establish and get back their “new” ordinary lives.

People continue to be surprised on what is still happening in Senior Centers as we continue dealing with COVID and all of those restrictions.

Well first off, the Senior Center Staff is still working. They are just as helpful as they were when you were there. They miss you, too!! They cannot wait for you to come in those doors!

The staff is just as committed to serving you – it’s just that things are different

The Senior Center phone lines are manned, and you can still get your questions answered. Call and let them know what you need help with.

You can still sign up for Meals on Wheels, Fuel Assistance, Elderly & Totally Disabled Tax Relief Program, AARP income tax assistance, and other programs. Or get the information on how you can apply.

You can find out which of these programs you are eligible for. Plus, any others you might be able to take advantage of.

You can get Meals on Wheels delivered to your home.

Most Senior Centers are still providing transportation.

Many Senior Centers have meals you can order and pick-up curbside.

If your local Senior Center is not distributing food, they can tell you where your closest location is.

There are lots of virtual and Zoom classes available. The beauty of those is that you can attend events that are well out of your area. There is no need to travel to a Senior Center across the state. Just register and login on the day and time the event is happening.

SeniorCenterCt.org has a Zoom calendar on the main landing page. Just click on the Zoom Calendar icon and you’ll find any number of things you can do.

Here is an example of some of the virtual and Zoom classes that you might find: Tai Chi, Genealogy, Sing Along, Trivia, lectures on a number of topics, paint night, bingo and more!!

So, call your Senior Center and see if you can pick up jigsaw puzzles, books from the Senior Center Library, or maybe even craft kits. Who knows, give them a call, and ask!!

So even though, you might have thought your Senior Center is CLOSED, it’s not really…. It’s just that the public cannot go into the building.

Our Town of Groton website has been upgraded – please visit https://www.groton-ct.gov/departments/parksrec/seniors/index.php to see some of the changes.  If you want to register for one of our many programs you can still do so from our website page by clicking on “register”.