Community Building in a Multipurpose Senior Center

A lack of social engagement, which can lead to social isolation and loneliness, is an increasing issue in the United States. Loneliness and social isolation present a multitude of increased health risks for older adults. The purpose of this project is to create a community building activity to increase social engagement and sense of belonging within a multipurpose senior center. The Plan-Do-Study-Act method was used to guide the study through a community-based needs assessment using focus groups, program planning and implementation, analysis of results, and guidance for future programming. Qualitative data showed that implementation of the community-building activity increased a sense of community and belonging for participants. The project was successful in creating meaningful interactions between senior center participants and increasing social engagement. The project's strengths and a few highlighted weaknesses further inform our recommendations for future programming which includes increasing the size of the event and implementing a longer planning and promotion period to increase activity attendance.