ONEGeneration Brings Food, Friendship to Seniors

A couple of days each week, for several hours a day, seniors get together to play games, study languages and share a meal at the ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center. Many of the members here, who are retired, know that joining the center beats letting time just pass them by.

“This is a wonderful place for seniors to come here and kill some time, instead of sitting in front of your television feeling sorry for yourself,” said Eugenia Kerner, who has been coming to ONEgeneration for 2 1/2 years.

The indoor playground for active and independent seniors is at 18255 Victory Blvd. in Reseda. Known as OSEC, the nonprofit center was founded in 1978 to enrich the lives of seniors in the San Fernando Valley. Like other nonprofits, it is now experiencing its share of budget cuts.

OSEC receives limited funding from the city of Los Angeles Department of Aging and raises most of its funds through events, donations, grants and members who make small contributions when they can. But, currently, that's not enough.

“A lot of the classes in the fall are going to go lacking,” said Ginny Hatfield, interim manager. “Budget [cuts] are affecting everyone.” The center is specifically in need of theater teachers to instruct many of the classes provided Monday through Friday.

OSEC offers classes in Spanish, dance, cooking, writing, obtaining citizenship and is planning to offer an improv class in the fall. The center also schedules open activities such as billiards, bridge, movie screenings and mah-jongg for the 200 to 300 seniors who come through each day.

Kerner visits the center to play mah-jongg (a game nothing like dominos, but with similarly shaped, smaller tiles) Tuesdays and Fridays with friends she met there, Arlene Goldberg and Adrienne Fritz.

Kerner became an OSEC member when she lost her job. She volunteers in the travel department there, specializing in day trips. 

The travel department is located just across the pool hall, where there always seems to be some action taking place and “Jack never gets beat.”

“We’re all retired here,” said Tony Montana who comes to OSEC to play pool. “Keeps us out of trouble.” 

The billiard room, made up of eight tables, is where a lot of the guys prefer to hang out, according to Hatfield.

“I used to go to bars, and it’s not worth it,” said Montana. “[I’d rather] live a clean life.”

Members don't leave empty-handed, either. Bagged loaves of bread or several bagels are available in the main lobby and books are stacked high in the “lending library” for 25 cents each.

OSEC receives donations from Trader Joe's, Panera and Vons twice a week. Along with a nutritional lunch provided on site, each member may take home one of the loaves of bread.

Inside the art room, Spanish tenses are taught for a few hours during the afternoons. The teacher on Fridays is Michael Hughes, who has taught for 33 years. Hughes worked for the Los Angeles school district for five years and donates his time to the center.

“I’m retired, but I work six days a week,” said Hughes.

“He’s a fabulous teacher, the class is so interactive,” said Barbara Bell, a retired Cal State Northridge professor. “This is why I’m here, because of his pronunciation.”