Older Adults

Summary 

Effective January 1, 2024: 

• Essex Junction Recreation & Parks (EJRP), the recreation department that serves the City of Essex Junction, has assumed oversight of the Essex Area Senior Center (EASC). 

• The Town of Essex Senior Bus Service no longer serves residents of the City of Essex Junction. 

The contact information for EJRP is: 

• Mark Brislin, Assistant Recreation Director 

• 75 Maple Street 

• 802-878-1375 

• mbrislin@ejrp.org 

• www.ejrp.org 

Senior Center Days, Hours, Staffing 

The current schedule for the Senior Center:  

Mondays 

• Not Open

Tuesdays  

• 10a.m.-1:00p.m. – Bingo - $2 fee, bring your own lunch, lunch break at 11:30a.m. 

• EJRP staff will open, monitor, and close the Center. 

Wednesdays  

• Not open 

Thursdays  

• 11:00a.m.-12:00p.m. – Briscola – no fee 

• 12:30-3:30p.m. – Duplicate Bridge – no fee, bring a partner 

• EJRP staff will open, monitor, and close the Center. 

Fridays  

• 10a.m.-12p.m. – Mah Jongg 

• EASC volunteers will open, monitor, and close the Center. In the absence of a volunteer, the Center will not be open that day. 

Renovations at Lincoln Hall 

At some point in 2024 and into 2025, Lincoln Hall (2 Lincoln Street – the location of the City Offices, Essex CHIPS, Essex Teen Center, Essex Area Senior Center) will be closed for renovations to the building. Based on the currently anticipated timeline, the Senior Center space will no longer be usable for its current purposes effective May 1, 2024. It will likely be available again sometime in the spring of 2025. These are good faith estimates at this time and are subject to change. During renovations to the rest of the building, the Senior Center space will serve as the temporary office for the City of Essex Junction.

When the renovations begin, the current Senior Center programming will continue to be supported in a different space(s). Spaces are currently being explored and a schedule and locations will be shared later in the winter. 

SSTA Bus Option 

The Special Service Transportation Agency (SSTA) offers an ADA paratransit program for residents who live within 3/4 of a mile from a fixed route bus service, provided by Green Mountain Transit (GMT), and have a disability that prevents them from walking to or waiting for a bus. Regarding the mile threshold, almost all of the City of Essex Junction qualifies with exceptions being a handful of households within neighborhoods at the western end of South Street, Cascade Street, and Dunbar Drive and a few households at the northern edge of Old Colchester Road. In order to utilize the service, an application must be completed and processed in advance (can take up to three weeks). Applicants will need a certified healthcare professional to verify their disability. The cost per ride for the user is $2.50. There are hard copies of the application materials at the Senior Center. The application and further information can be found here: 

https://ridegmt.com/paratransit-application/ 

Senior Center Memberships 

Due to being open only for the first three months of 2024 at Lincoln Hall, before vacating for renovations, there will be no membership fees for the Senior Center until further notice. 

How Can I Find Information About the Senior Center and Programming 

• www.ejrp.org/olderadults

• 802-878-1375 

• Click h​​​​​​​e​​​​​​​r​​​​​​​e​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​T​​​​​​​o Subscribe to EJRP’s Monthly Newsletter

Time to stretch those muscles and get in shape. Join us for pick-up basketball, fun, and fitness every Tuesday night.
18+ / EMS
SPRING SESSION: TUE, MARCH 5 - MAY 28
SUMMER SESSION: TUE, JUNE 4 - AUGUST 27
7:30–9:30PM
$40
ROBERT HAGGERTY AND VOLUNTEERS

Register Now

Therapy Dog Academy

Prerequisite: Permission from the instructor or prior participation in a Gold Star class.

So, your dog wants to be a therapy dog? Well, we’ve got a course for that! This 6-week course gives dogs and handlers the necessary skills for not only passing the test but also for working successfully as a therapy dog team. 

18+ | Maple Street Recreation Center

Sat, April 6 - May 11 | 12:00-1:00PM

$185 with a dog / $80 without dog

Instructor: Deb Helfrich, Gold Star Dog Training

Register Now