What is Senior Action? In 1967, Senior Action started in downtown Greenville in a church — now Downtown Baptist Church — as a partnership between the city and county of Greenville. Over the next decades, the nonprofit had several headquarters and outreach posts, always focusing on engaging Upstate seniors. Baby boomers are now 57-75 years old, and there are 71 million of them in the United States, according the U.S. Census. They may be retired (or not!), and they are very much alive and active.
Where is the new location? For the past 10 years, Senior Action’s main headquarters has been off Orchard Park Road. The new location opens in April at 3715 E. North St., and finishing touches, new furniture and new programs are planned.
What will the new facility feature? A surprisingly good opportunity the pandemic has provided is forcing every business to rethink their strategy. Nonprofits, too. As funding has changed, new revenue opportunities must be created. Senior Action’s new location has a conference center, available for rental, that will hold 400 people. While Senior Action plans to use 30,000 square feet, the building totals 70,000, and there is space for new tenants, providing a unique source for potential revenue.
What are some new programs? Another new feature is a focus on the arts. “We cultivate arts in young people, but people have a need to be creative their whole lives,” says Executive Director Andrea Smith. Senior Action’s new location has a Fine Arts Center for classes in music, dance and visual arts. With a larger venue, Senior Action can also host art shows, dance classes and concerts, with everyone from the eight centers throughout Greenville participating under one roof.
Related – Giving Matters: Senior Action responds to pandemic with creativity and heart
Smith stresses the need for partnerships. She says Meals on Wheels provides a resource for daily meals. She also wants to bring back Teen Tech Friday, when students from Greenville Tech Charter High School come to the center and provide hands-on solutions for members’ phones and iPads. (I live with three Gen Z teenagers, and the stereotype fits: They can fix any remote or phone glitch with minimal eye-rolling.)
How have COVID-19 guidelines affected in-person classes? Since January, all of the locations are offering some classes in person. They have had to be creative — how about tai chi in the parking lot? Members are excited about the new location, and the need for in-person activities is critical for mental health (for all ages).
How to measure success? Nonprofits are sharpening pencils. Smith and her team have spent months evaluating businesses based on membership models. She and her team studied various industries, including the cable TV market, learning that there is no longer a one-size-fits-all type of customer. Senior Action will continue to offer a monthly membership allowing gym use, fine arts and lecture series, but it is expanding its customer options. The new location will offer a more a la carte fee structure. Perhaps a customer only wants to pay for a painting or financial planning class. This new model will allow Senior Action to expand its audience from the current 5,000 participants.
Smith is excited to see more participants and is especially thrilled when first-timers exclaim, “Wow, this is not what I expected.” More good news for seniors in the Upstate.
Amy Ryberg Doyle served for 12 years on Greenville City Council. She is married and has four children. An outdoors enthusiast, she likes to bike, swim and run, but not all in that order. She power-naps daily.
