CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs’ McAuley Senior Center located at 5010 Hwy 7 North in Hot Springs Village will reopen on Tuesday, July 6 to resume inhouse services for the North Garland County community. The center temporarily closed in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of broader safety guidelines to ensure the wellbeing of the senior community, but renovations at the senior center continued.

“Returning members will notice a few changes,” says McAuley Senior Center Program Coordinator Donna Bates. “The center has been reimagined. We now have a new dance studio with wall-to-wall mirrors, new flooring throughout the facility, a fun new Bistro coffee center in the front entry, new pool room light fixtures over each table and walls were removed to create new classroom space. The building has a fresh new look. Our thrift shop, Meals on Wheels and Corner Store will also reopen.”

The McAuley Senior Center is free to seniors age 60 and older, providing nutritious meals, fun events and opportunities to build community throughout the week. Meal services are also available for seniors throughout the area. Although required to close its doors during the pandemic, the McAuley Senior Center and Hot Springs Senior Center continued meal services this past year with curbside pickup for members. The Meals on Wheels service also continued throughout Garland County.

“Although we hated being closed due to the pandemic, it did allow us time to reimagine what the center could be and our renovations are just the beginning,” said Kellie Chacon, site manager. “All of our regular programs and classes will return, and we now have space to think about how to incorporate new programming.”

Existing center members will need to renew their membership either with their existing membership card or by requesting a new card upon their first visit back to the center. New members are also welcome and registration is free. Hours of operation will continue to be Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lunch will be served daily from 11:30 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. for the suggested donation of $3.50.