by David Flint
A recently established alternative seniors club in the Town of Stephentown is doing well according to its founder, Mary DeFreest of West Road. DeFreest says membership in the new club, the Seniors of Stephentown (SOS), is up to 40 now and with 18 to 25 seniors showing up at meetings they have outgrown their initial temporary gathering place which is the DeFreest home at 334 West Road. She said she was “overjoyed and surprised” at the response.
DeFreest and some others recently broke off from the Stephentown Seniors, a club that will next month be celebrating its 40th anniversary. The reason for the split was irreconcilable differences with the leadership. DeFreest said she recognizes that there are many wonderful people in the Stephentown Seniors and she wishes them well as they celebrate their anniversary.
DeFreest said the new club is in the process of finding another meeting place. They have two prospects and they expect to be meeting in one of them by next month. Meetings are at noon on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.
According to DeFreest the new club will aspire to be community minded, providing friendship, transportation to the doctor or store or just a friendly visit to whoever is in need. They will put a major emphasis on support of the Stephentown Food Pantry, with each member who attends a meeting bringing some food item for the Pantry.
Sometime next year the club expects to talk about sponsoring trips. There is no thought yet about requesting any subsidy from the Town. DeFreest said that may also be discussed next year but for the moment they are more interested in doing something for the Town rather than taking from the Town.
Town Supervisor Tom Sherman last month proposed that the Town Board expend up to $5,000 a year from a contingency fund to partially reimburse members of the Stephentown Seniors who volunteer to drive people in need to the doctor or store or food pantry. The resolution was tabled until the details could be worked out, but Sherman says the plan is still under consideration. He would not comment on whether such reimbursement would apply to members of another club such as the SOS. He also declined to comment on whether the Town Board would subsidize trips for more than one senior club.