The Graceland Center for Purposeful Aging will hold an informational showcase Saturday at the Proctor Recreation Center to highlight the need for more community-based senior programming and activities.
The event for adults 50 and older will feature presentations focusing on positive emotional, physical and social health.
“The main message is: aging can be a healthy process, and can be embraced and enjoyed,” said Peggy Jacques, Graceland’s founder and executive director. “The vision of Graceland is to create a culture in which aging is respected and dignified. That's our vision, to create that culture here in Peoria.”
Graceland formed in 2020 as a non-profit organization aiming to help older adults connect and stay active. Jacques said Peoria's dearth of programming available to seniors stands out among Illinois’ largest cities.
“Of the top 10, we are the only city that doesn't have a community-based center for older adults to gather and socialize and learn and get access to resources, and so forth,” she said.
Jacques acknowledged that not a lot of people are familiar with Graceland and what it offers.
“Many people think our kind of service is like an adult daycare – where for people who definitely need help is wonderful to have – or it's a residential (center), and it really is neither one of those,” she said. “It's a center just for older adults to be able to socialize and learn and find some purpose in life, have avenues to maybe volunteer or take classes.”
Saturday’s event at Proctor begins at 10 a.m. and will last until about 1 p.m. Jacques said that while advance registration is encouraged, walk-ins will be allowed. Speakers include Dr. Joseph Babione from UnityPlace, Daryl Carlson from the Illinois chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and Tahari Allen from the OSF Strive Trauma Recovery Center.
Jacques said as a relatively new non-profit, they don’t yet have enough funding for a permanent location but they hope to within the next couple of years. She said they hope to hold more showcases in the upcoming months.
“What we'd like to do is to do events in the Peoria area at different locations, and try to do outreach with our community to help them know what we need here in the Peoria area, and why we need it,” said Jacques.
“As life changes, the more intentionally we are active with our minds and with our physical well-being and our emotional and social well-being, then the less diseases people have, the better they're able to protect themselves against some of the complications of chronic diseases, especially dementia, and they're able to age in place better.”
