WHITEHOUSE – Anthony Wayne-area seniors now have a reason to rise a little earlier on Saturday mornings, as a new program beginning Saturday, Sept. 20 offers a free breakfast, informational programming and plenty of time for socializing with peers.
The Anthony Wayne Area Senior Connection program, hosted by the Village of Whitehouse and Hope United Methodist Church, will debut this weekend and run every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the church, 10610 Waterville Street in Whitehouse.
“This is a chance for people to get out and get together with friends and meet new people,” said Steve Winters, Hope’s director of discipleship.
The morning begins with a continental breakfast, such as bagels, pastries, yogurt and fruit, and time to socialize. At 10 a.m., the program begins, with guest speakers, games and hands-on activities.
“We’re still developing the calendar, but so far we have a lot of positive feedback,” said Village Chief Operating Officer Josh Hartbarger, who is working with the Area Office on Aging and local businesses and organizations for programming. He expects to share the rest of the 2025 calendar of speakers at whitehouseoh.gov in the coming days.
Mayor Rich Bingham is the first speaker, discussing “What’s New In Whitehouse.” Among the new projects he’ll discuss will be plans for a new Whitehouse Library, which Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is planning to build at Blue Creek Metropark along Waterville Street within the next two years.
“We’ve asked the Library to consider including space for a senior center in that new building,” Bingham said.
When he was first on Village Council eight years ago, Bingham said he teamed up with council member Louann Artiaga to explore ways to bring a senior center to the village, as it’s one of the top requests on village surveys.
While Anthony Wayne-area residents have access to the Maumee Senior Center and its programming, often people prefer to stay closer to home, with an opportunity to socialize with people they know, he said.
“This is a connection to your community, with people that you trust,” Bingham said. “Seniors need something to do, especially those who are widowed and single.”
Hope is also familiar with the need for a senior gathering, as the church previously hosted well-attended Wednesday luncheons for many years before the pandemic, Winters said. He saw how seniors flocked to those lunches not just for the food but for an opportunity to visit with others. While those labor-intensive lunches are no longer held, Winters said members of his discipleship group were recently brainstorming ideas for a way to serve the community and all arrive at the same idea: programming for seniors.
“The partnership between local government and the nonprofit church is the perfect fit, and will give us a way to bring back that connection we lost during Covid,” Hartbarger said.
By hosting the Anthony Wayne Area Senior Connection on Saturday, guests will also have access to the Hope Chest, the church’s resale shop that is stocked with reasonably priced clothing, housewares, toys, books and games. This is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon as well. In addition to built-in time for socializing, programming and shopping, volunteers with medical backgrounds will offer simple health checks as well, Winters said.
For information on programming, contact the village at 419-877-5383 or visit whitehouseoh.gov.
