Though things are fazing in slowly everyone is happy to be back, according to the rousing “happy” they whole room shouted after exercise Friday morning.

The October calendar listed events such as pinochle, line dancing and Tai Chi in addition to the exercise that they have scheduled twice a week.

“When we were closed I would open it a couple hours on Friday for them to be able to come in and get books and puzzles,” Nancy Renckens, president of the board of directors, said. “It was just the idea of something for them to do and to see people,”

As seniors come in and out their temperatures are checked and they’re required to wear a mask at all times, unless they’re eating or drinking.

Back, Kathy Falco, left, Betty Korzeniewski and right, Jeanne Houser enjoy a game of pinochle as people gather at the Dunkirk Senior Center.

“They have to stay social distanced, the only time they’re really together is on Fridays — they have coffee,” Renckens added. “It keeps them healthy.”

Renckens, like many of the seniors there were happy to be back, they felt like they lost so much of their normalcy when the pandemic hit. Having the Senior Center open again has been a welcome sigh of relief to them.

“We had people calling all summer asking, ‘When are you going to reopen'” Renckens said. “And these people that I’ve talked to, I’m really concerned about them. I was almost in tears. I thought, ‘What’s going to happen to them? They’re getting afraid to go out and get their mail.'”

During coffee Friday a couple of the seniors shared their thoughts, including Paulette Morein of Dunkirk

“It took a little getting used to, exercising with the masks on,” Morein said. “But it’s so nice to be back and to talk to people.”

“The socialization is what we needed, we need the exercise, but just to be with a group and talk, we didn’t think we’d ever get back,” Roberta Hollander added. “This is working, it’s good.”

Right now the center is open all week days from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. however Centers for the Aging is still call-in only.