By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–Recently reopened to serve local seniors with opportunities for learning and connection, The Cathy Hopper Friendship Center hosted an open house attended by special guests including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, city leaders, and community members.
After a long history in the North Clairemont community, the center has been operated by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department since March 2023.
Guests at the open house toured the center, learned about the daily activities offered, provided suggestions for future program and service opportunities, met the staff, and heard remarks from city leaders including Mayor Gloria and City Councilmember Jennifer Campbell.
The center’s walls were adorned with artwork created by AgeWell Services participants at the 48th annual art contest reception on Monday.
“The Cathy Hopper Friendship Center is part of our commitment to ensuring our seniors have access to vital services and a vibrant community space to support aging well,” said Mayor Gloria. “It’s inspiring to see this center reopen and thrive, offering countless opportunities for connection, learning, and health and wellness.”
Named after the late Cathy Hopper who was instrumental in the center’s founding in the 1970s, the center operated for decades under the management of local nonprofit organizations, the last of which shut its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Located adjacent to the North Clairemont Park complex along Bannock Avenue, seniors expressed the need for activities and programming that was lost when the center shuttered. The Parks and Recreation Department answered the call and began operating the center in March 2023 through the AgeWell Services program.
In 2021, the city’s Age-Friendly San Diego Action Plan was adopted, a plan that identifies and promotes improvements that help make Park and Recreation facilities and programs more supportive of not only older adult residents but people of all ages. Providing programming at facilities like The Cathy Hopper Friendship Center helps increase the quality of life for participants.
A robust menu of activities and programs happens each day at the center, including coffee service, art and writing classes, fitness programs such as walking and yoga, line dancing, games, movies, and special presentations on topics of interest like legal matters and caregiving. Card and table games like Bingo, Bridge, and Mah Jongg are also very popular at the center, with sessions scheduled throughout the summer. Participants can even learn to play the ukulele with a class scheduled weekly starting in July. Programs and classes are free or low-cost, with partial scholarships available for some fee-based activities.
The center’s summer 2024 activities program is listed on pages 16-17 of the AgeWell Services Scroll newsletter.
“Along with our other sites around the city, The Cathy Hopper Friendship Center fills a need for activities and programs for the 60 and better population in Clairemont and surrounding areas,” said Kristi Fenick, Parks and Recreation Department District Manager for AgeWell Services. “Since the Parks and Recreation Department began providing programming in the space last year, it has become a vibrant hub of activity and people are really enjoying the space!”
AgeWell Services provides free and low-cost programs, services, and activities for seniors ages 60 and older at sites across San Diego. These include classes, social activities, dances, free lunches, and the social calls program. The first-ever AgeWell Services Summer Camp is also planned for July 16 to 18, providing a fun week of activities for senior participants.
