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In Our Centers
BRUNSWICK SENIOR BUZZ
AUGUST 2021
Let’s Play! By Beth A. Klahre
Themes Make the Day
ince August 2020, the Brunswick Senior Center at Supply has been interacting in a fun new way with homebound seniors who participate with the Meals on Wheels program. They are playing bingo. And it’s all being done remotely.
Even more enticing is the theme of the day which Confer imaginatively weaves into every recorded message. Past themes included history, weather, education, and cultural events like Black History Month and Women’s History Month. More senior-relevant themes included advocacy, such as Medicare
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Sherry Confer, front desk receptionist at the center, has been running the game. Here’s how it works: Every Meals on Wheels participant receives a paper bingo card from their volunteer mealdelivery driver. Each day, Confer records a message on the center’s group notification system (similar to a robo-call phone system). During that call, seniors hear the bingo letters and numbers for the day. When someone believes they have bingo, they call the center to confirm the numbers—and the chance to yell “bingo!” To date, the center has had at least one winner every month. Some months had two lucky winners. Confer messages everyone when there’s a winner and the game ceases for a week for prize delivery and to make new bingo cards.
scam alerts and heart health. And Confer throws in trivia and odd facts about North Carolina and Brunswick County for the curious. It was B-7 on National Hot Dog Day. B for bun! And G-59 on Hug Your Dog day. G for good boy! Confer says, “I try to make the recording cheerful and fun. I like to record the script in my own voice so there is better inflection, emphasis, and tone.” She’s the creative brain behind the themes and the recorded messages. And while this is just a game, some of the homebound seniors take it very seriously. Seriously fun, that is. Confer adds, “They call me if they missed a number. And they call me to let me know that I have called the same number twice in one game!”
Winner Takes All
Patrick Cooney was a recent winner of the Brunswick Center at Supply’s at‐home bingo game for seniors receiving Meals on Wheels.
Are there prizes? Of course! Many prizes have been live plants and a variety of lap throws. The prizes are also delivered by the Meals on Wheels delivery driver. Brunswick Senior Center at Supply director Melissa Starr loves how Confer has engaged with the
