BERNARDSTON — Bernardston community members are invited to a “Meet-and-Greet” with the new director of the Senior Center, Karina Berenson, on Tuesday, April 17, 5 to 7 p.m.
Food will be served. Attendees must sign up by calling the Senior Center at 413-648-5413 by Thursday, April 12.
Berenson’s first day as director of the Bernardston Senior Center is Monday. Before coming to the Senior Center, Berenson worked at LifePath in Greenfield for three years as a case manager, where her roles mainly involved coordinating services to help elderly people live independently in their homes as they age.
“There’s a lot of overlap with what I do now and what I will continue to do at (the Senior Center),” Berenson said.
She said that she wants to maintain the popular programs that the center provides, such as the “BSC Evening Cafe” on Monday nights, where dinner is served along with a musical program.
“Part of my role coming in as a director is to first learn a lot about what people think is working really well and what they want to see continue,” Berenson said. “I don’t want to come in and say, ‘This is what I’m gonna change.’ I really want to address what people want.”
Berenson said that her new job will differ from her previous position at LifePath in that the Senior Center addresses the “holistic needs” of elderly people, rather than the more basic problems she addressed as a case manager at LifePath.
“One thing I keep hearing from people who go to the senior center in Bernardston is they like to have fun,” Berenson said. “A big part of it is getting together and socializing with other people and having fun activities to do together. I think that’s very important for people who might be living alone or may not be able to get out that often.”