GIAC’s 60+ adult program offers active aging adventures

When it comes to active aging, the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) Adult 60+ Senior Program offers a community-centered way to stay engaged, explore new interests, and make lasting connections.

“When people hear GIAC, they think youth and teen-related, but we have a program for people age 60 and above, and it actually is one of the larger programs [at GIAC] in terms of participation, with about 180 people,” said Zachary Nelson, coordinator for the GIAC Adult 60+ Senior Program.

Most of the participants are from Ithaca, but many are from all over the county, and there are a few from even a little further afield than that, Nelson said.

“We are primarily an outings program,” he explained. He puts together a calendar of about 12 to 15 activities every month.

In the summer, the group tends to travel further, often to Binghamton, Syracuse or Rochester, and occasionally as far as New York City for a Yankees game or Rockettes show.

In the winter they stay closer to home. “We’re less ambitious in our travels, for obvious reasons,” Nelson said.

“I try to do a mix of programming,” he explained. “Pretty much every month there is a theatre option; I try to do at least one music concert or show, and in the summertime, music festivals.”

The group has a birthday lunch every month to celebrate that month’s birthdays, and once a month Nelson invites an expert or a local politician — someone of interest to the seniors — to speak at a breakfast.

There is a group that meets on Tuesdays to work on their craft projects together, and a computer troubleshooting group where people can drop in and bring their device to get some answers to their tech problems.

Summertime also brings with it the addition of more outdoor activities such as bicycle rides along waterfront trail. 

“For the last couple years, people from Bike Walk Tompkins have been very helpful in helping us make the seniors feel comfortable on the bikes, and they do a little tutorial,” Nelson said, “and Ithaca Youth Bureau has been kind enough to lend us bikes to do that.”

The program has also recently started up a monthly bocce ball game at Stewart Park. “I think it’s going to be something that gets a nice, devoted group of seniors outside pretty regularly,” Nelson said.

“We also tour museums and historic sites pretty regularly,” he added.

Recently, the group visited the historic French Azilum in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

“It’s where a group of French people fleeing the Reign of Terror set up in Northern Pennsylvania,” Nelson said. “So that’s an example of one of our interesting trips.”

Members of the group weigh in regularly on the types of programming they would like to see.

“We’ve got a steering committee, which consists of whoever shows up,” Nelson said. “We have them do a survey of the potential ideas, and that helps me determine future programming for the next few months.”

“The next big thing I’m excited about is a boat ride on the Erie Canal,” Nelson added. “I try to do a boat-ride-lunch every year, but since this year is the 200^th anniversary of the Erie Canal, it makes sense to try to do one of their rides.”

Nelson said that going on many of the trips with the group has expanded his appreciation for everything the area has to offer.

“I’ve been doing the job about 15 years, and it’s made me realize how culturally rich and historically rich the area is,” he said. “It’s just a wealth of unending potential trips and interesting historic sites and museums. It’s a lot of fun to explore them.”

Nelson said that people interested in joining the GIAC Adult Program need to sign up for a membership to the program, which is $55 for one year, and sign up for the trips and special events by emailing him at znelson@cityofithaca.org or calling him at (607) 279-1623. He said he encourages people to explore the program.

“You’ll find a welcoming, fun group of people and a wide range of activities,” he said.