Activity and Recreation Center In Normal, Illinois
The Activity and Recreation Center of Normal, Illinois is one of Graceland Center’s model senior centers! We encourage you to visit their website, go physically to visit them, and see what an INCREDIBLE center this is for the older adults in the Bloomington Normal area. Their staff has sent us some great background information and current programming resources that we are including in this blog for your learning enjoyment! Imagine what this type of center could mean to our area! And this is the exact effort Graceland Center is working on!
A History of Normal Township’s ARC
Great strides have been made in providing comprehensive programming for seniors over the last few decades in Normal Township. In 1990, the senior center was located at the Newman Center. Its programs were structured around Peace Meal and day trips and were staffed by YWCA Senior Services. In 1992, the program moved to Township Hall. Soon basic activities and a geriatric nurse were added. In 1998, the center moved to the remodeled Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School Activities Building, allowing for program expansion. The Seniors Program, as it was called until April 2016, offered a handful of exercise classes, card games, and health assistance programs, as well as bingo, pool, and Peace Meal lunch. ARC opened on April 25, 2016, and now provides 25+ exercise classes a week and over 50 free activities a month in a 35,000+ sq. ft building. The center provides a modern, friendly atmosphere for socialization and fitness, as well as recreational, nutritional, health support and assistance services for senior citizens.
Programs ARC Currently Offers
Exercise –Yoga (Gentle, Chair, Modified), Tai Chi, Line Dance, Social Ballroom Dance, Cardio & Circuit Training (Low & Slow, Healthy Moves & Grooves, Triple Treat, Fit & Fabulous), Zumba options, Active Group Training & Easy-Going Group Training
ARC Fitness Center: Cardio & Weight training
Fitness Center orientation
Personal Training with Scott Richardson
Indoor Walking Track
13 laps = 1 mile
Rubberized for comfort of feet and knees
Pickleball
Open play hours, workshops, bootcamps, tournaments
Free & Ongoing – Pinochle, Bridge, Poker, Euchre, Scrabble, Mah Jongg, Canasta, Dominos, Hand & Foot, Strat-O-Matic Baseball, Pool Tables, Computer Lab/Assistance Hours, Library, Walking Track, Fitness Center, Pickleball, Table Tennis, Weekly Movies, Genealogy Help, Knitting, ARCoustic Jam,
ARC-ulele Hour, Fun & Games, Painter’s Workshop, Mah Jongg, Quilting & Sewing, Grief Support Groups, Parkinson’s Support Group, Caregiver Support Groups, Gardening Club, Art Classes, Assistance Outreach, Book Groups, Bunco, Tech Classes, etc.
Quick Facts About ARC
•Members – 3,250 current members & daily attendance of 400+, pre-pandemic saw a high of 4,500 members
•Transportation – ARC now utilizes two shuttle vans (3-seat & 5-seat) and serves 25 riders/month on 150 trips/month
•Monthly Newsletter & Communications – Members receive either paper or digital copies of ARC’s 20-page monthly newsletter (increased in 2022 from 16 pages). Introduced email communications in 2017. Monthly newsletter is now sent to 3,300 subscribers via email & over 2,800 of ARC’s current members receive a weekly Programming Highlights email. Completed a list clean-up in November 2023.
•ARC on social media – Facebook page started in 2015 prior to the opening of the Normal Township ARC. Nearing 3,000 followers & page reach of over 15,000 in 90 days
•Volunteers – Greeters, Bonnie’s Café Attendants, Library Attendants, Program Leaders, Gardeners, Sunshine Program friendly visits, Senior Advisory Board
•Over 65 current volunteers
•Funding Sources – Normal Township property taxes, Program Fees, Membership fees, Health Partners (SilverSneakers, Renew Active, Silver & Fit, Active & Fit), Grants (East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, City of Bloomington Township)
•Have received grants for specific programs from Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, Harmon Arts Grant, etc.
•Green Space Project – In partnership with ARC Living Memorial Fund (ALMF), which has raised over $75,000 toward the total project. Goal to expand ARC programming & provide space for outdoor programs so members can experience the therapeutic benefits of being active in nature. The ALMF, a 501(c)3, was established in July 2015 to provide a means for ARC members & the community to support Normal Township’s ARC through charitable donations.
•Hybrid Programs – Book groups, Caregiver Support, Mindfulness Meditation, Tai Chi
Community Partnerships
•Illinois State University/Illinois Wesleyan University – Nursing faculty & staff provide services for physical & mental health screenings, CSD students for hearing/cognitive screens
•Connect Transit – Works with ARC to provide additional means for members to get to and from the center at a lower or $0 cost to supplement ARC shuttle van service
•East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging
•Local Hospitals
•Community Care Systems
•Bonnie’s Café Coffee Sponsors – Support helps to keep café services free of charge to members looking to build social connections
•OSF Peace Meal
•Weekly Grocery Store Bingo Sponsors
•Local Law Enforcement
•U of I Extension Office
•Local Travel Agencies
•Senior Care Network
•AND MORE!