Skip to contents
In This Issue:
Instructor Gladys Grullon leads an exercise class as part of the Our Generation program at Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center.
Before joining Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center's (SJPHC) Our Generation program in 2012, Minerva Tejeda says she felt sad, tired and unhealthy. Now, just two years later, she feels like a new person who's enjoying life to the fullest.
"I feel 100 percent better," she said, as she helped prepare a healthy Caribbean-Latino-inspired dish for program peers earlier this month inside the SJPHC Health Promotion Center kitchen. "I'm very happy now and live a much healthier life."
Tejeda is one of Our Generation's 57 regular participants. The popular program is a resource for Spanish-speaking seniors age 65 and older in the community to come together to focus on their physical and emotional wellbeing. Since 2012, 147 community members have participated.
Meeting once a week, seniors in the program participate in different activities, including support groups and exercise and nutrition classes. The program strives to get seniors moving both physically and mentally, said Senior Case Manager Niza Troncoso. In addition to the weekly meetings, a majority of participants also take advantage of other Health Promotion Center offerings during the week, including additional fitness classes.
"When participants come here, they feel like they are at home," Troncoso said. "This is where they can share, learn and participate in all the activities we offer."
Cecilia Flores, a Health Promotion Center coordinator, said that many men and women in this age group who immigrate to the U.S. often feel disconnected and find it difficult to make social connections. "We are striving to decrease social isolation and increase community involvement," she said.
Before enjoying a home-cooked lunch together, a highlight of the program, participants gather for a weekly exercise session with instructor Gladys Grullon. During the hour-long class, seniors of all physical abilities practice different exercises to warm up their joints and release tension.
"I want to help release their stress and teach them how to be free and independent," said Grullon, who has been teaching fitness classes at SJPHC for three years.
Domingo Borges, who has been a part of the program for a year, said it has helped him learn to eat better and take care of his body.
"There's a lot of support," he said. "Everything is perfect and wonderful here. This program helps my mind and body."