Gloria Renzi’s drawings kept her company over the past year.
As an artist, she found ways to cope with isolation during the pandemic.
When the Johnston Senior Center closed it left a void in her life.
“We’re like family here,” she said, pointing to her bocce ball partners. “This place is very important to me.”
Ralph Votta, seated on a bench next to Renzi, took a somber tone for a moment.
“We lost a couple friends last year,” he said.
Votta and his buddy Ronald Galipeau serve as bocce team captains at the center.
For more than a year, the pair sorely missed the sport.
“Last year, we had to stay in like they told us to,” Votta said.
“It was like we all hibernated,” Renzi added. “Now we got our shots.”
Johnston Senior Center Supervisor Jacqueline “Jac” Bell-Conroy picked up the temperature-scanner and moved it out of the lobby on Wednesday afternoon.
The world inside and out of the facility has slowly started to return to normal.
“I am pleased to announce that the Johnston Senior Center will be reopening June 7th,” said Matt Bolton, Senior Center Director. “We are thrilled to welcome back our seniors into our building.”
Some classes resumed - Zumba, line dancing and bocce - about three weeks ago.
Next week, staff at the center plans to host a pizza party for Johnston’s senior community.
“We invite all members to join us on June 7th for a complimentary pizza luncheon, at noon,” Bolton said.
Members interested in attending should call Jac or Ellen Trementozzi, program coordinator, at 401-944-3343 by Thursday, June 3, to reserve a spot.
“We will continue to use the state guidelines for our masks policy and for our social distancing guidelines,” Bolton said. “Many of our classes are already running and we will be adding more classes and activities back to our schedule as we enter the next phase of our reopening.”
Although the center has been open for some services, and limited staff, for the months between March 16 and June 1, 2020, only one staff member worked inside the building.
Madeline Ravenelle, social services staff member, fielded phone calls on-site.
“We're here for everything anyone needs,” she said in the center lobby. “Even if you just need someone to talk to, we’re here.”
Carol Govey danced with tiny barbells in her hand to music during the center’s Zumba class.
“It was very sad when everything closed,” she said. “I did exercises on YouTube but it’s not the same. It was a very boring and depressing time.”
Fran Golombiewski teaches dance at the center - line dancing and Zumba now, tap and ballroom soon, once again.
“Now we’re ready to party,” she said, bursting with energy after Wednesday’s morning class. “They’re all so excited.”
Over the past year, Golombiewski taught classes over Zoom.
“But it’s just not the same thing,” she said. “In the same room, you work off each other’s energy.”
At home, appliances get in the way.
“Plus you’re in the kitchen hitting the stove,” she said, laughing.
Lisa Villella, another Zumba participant, contracted Covid last year. She was diagnosed in November, and recuperated over the next six and a half months.
“I did survive Covid,” Villella said. “The Zoom classes I was able to take were fabulous for getting me to feel better, fighting fatigue and depression. But this is much better. We want more classes. It’s time to get back to normalcy.”
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