Sharon Rice says she’s no stranger to being involved in the local community— especially with seniors. 

With previous experience as the Assistant Director of the Attleboro Council on Aging and the Director of Parks and Recreation in Norton, Rice explained that she’s well aware of the positive impact that a strong sense of community brings. 

“Few people realize what a great resource the Council on Aging is,” Rice said. Not only does the organization provide medical devices for seniors, but it serves as a source of socialization and bonding for local seniors, she added.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, many seniors were isolated from their peers. Now that pandemic restrictions have lightened up, Rice said there is “an added determination to have fun.”

From bingo to “chair volleyball,” the Wareham Council on Aging offers a wide range of activities that are both “exciting and achievable activities” for seniors.  

“We are enlarging our focus to serve each level of ability,” Rice said. 

At the Attleboro Council on Aging, Rice started a program called “Aging Backwards” that educated seniors on health through preventative and strength-building exercises. 

Rice says that she is looking forward to organizing educational and fun activities for Wareham, such as hiking local trails.

Rice wants to expand the Wareham Council on Aging’s outreach through marketing strategies such as a widely available newsletter. Another one of her strategies is to offer activities that appeal to a larger range of residents. 

“Some people think that the senior center is just for old people, but it is not,” she said. 

When Rice is not at the senior center, she is either reading or cooking. As a trained personal chef, Rice says that she’s eager to share her homemade meals with the senior community.