Senior citizens in the community filled Jeanine’s American Bistro March 19 for a lunch and performance by local musician Jimmy Moore. The afternoon marked the Sea Cliff Senior Outreach Network’s monthly luncheon at the bistro.
The Sea Cliff Senior Outreach Network, run by Tracy Arnold Warzer, is sponsored by the Village of Sea Cliff and provides opportunities for seniors in the community to socialize and connect with one another. The monthly luncheons are made affordable for seniors to attend, and bussing is provided for those who do not drive.
“It’s a very friendly atmosphere and conducive to building connections,” Arnold Warzer said, “particularly for seniors who can feel isolated in the community, and perhaps some of them may not have come out very much during the winter.”
Arnold Warzer knew Moore prior to assuming her role with the senior outreach network. Moore, a local musician and vocal teacher, performed a series of Irish songs.
“He was great, and he didn’t just stand in one spot, he walked around the whole room,” one attendee, Ann Mingorance, said. “And so, he was a wonderful performer as well as a wonderful singer.”
The 60-year Glen Head resident attends the luncheons regularly. Mingorance said she enjoys connecting with others and praised Arnold Warzer for the variety of events she puts together for seniors. Aside from the luncheons, the senior outreach network offers artistic activities, intergenerational events and informational sessions on health and safety.
Mingorance attended the event with her caregiver. She said they considered sitting at a two-person table they found upon arriving, but Mingorance told her caregiver she would prefer to sit with people they did not previously know. The two ended up joining others at a table, and Mingorance described those they met as “wonderful people.”
“We had a really nice conversation and exchanged phone numbers,” she said, “and are definitely going to get together in the future.”
Arnold Warzer described the senior outreach network as a “senior center without walls.” Some locations where the network holds events include Sea Cliff Village Hall, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the village museum.
Luncheons at the bistro only cost attendees $15. Owner Jeanine DiMenna said she is happy to make the event affordable and that it is important for the venue to be accessible.
“It gives me a lot of satisfaction to be able to give back to the community in a positive way,” she said, “and getting them all here together, you could see how excited they are about it. It’s an event for them to get out of the house and enjoy.”
The next senior outreach network event is “The Art of Breathing” workshop run by Founder of Age Well Recreation Ray Torres at village hall on Monday.
