The Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center Advisory Council met on Tuesday afternoon for the first time since the senior center saw a change in leadership.
Nicole Rader became the Roby Center’s Director on Jan. 1, succeeding longtime director Glenda Blazer.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the Roby Center board made nominations to fill an empty slot on the advisory board, and heard from Rader as she discussed her first month as director of the center.
A total of seven people applied to fill the empty seat on the 10-person board. Karen Ottinger, Carolyn Kinser, Regina Phillip, Lori Fannon, Martha Beamer, Sandra Pfister and Albert Holt were the applicants for the position.
The board nominated Ottinger, Kinser and Phillip for the position in a three-way tie vote.
Rader said the three names will be sent to Town of Greeneville Mayor Cal Doty for him to break the tie, according to the Roby Center board’s bylaws.
The Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen will then consider approving the nomination to the board at its meeting Tuesday.
Rader then told the board of the plans for programming and growth at the adult center under her leadership.
Rader told the board that the each new member of the center will be given a new welcome packet that includes a new informative brochure, a welcome letter that details some Roby programming and a membership card. Current members will also receive an informational letter.
The membership card will be used to keep track of attendance and membership using an electronic kiosk placed at the front entrance of the center.
“All our members have to do is swipe in when they get here and pick the activities they are going to participate in that day. They can also put in their phone number if they don’t have their card,” Rader said.
Rader said the center’s membership numbers had grown throughout January as she navigates her first month as director.
“In the last 14 days we have gotten 29 new members. So I am super excited about that,” Rader said.
Rader said that while the Roby Center has more than 500 total members, the center has about 450 members who actively use the center at least once per quarter.
In an effort to recruit new members, Rader is utilizing social media and is going to work with local churches.
“We have a Roby Fitzgerald Senior Adult Center Facebook page and the Town of Greeneville shares our information too. For our members that use social media, I see that they are sharing posts or their family members are sharing it, and I think that makes a difference,” Rader said. “I’m going to go speak with First Baptist Church’s senior class about getting involved, and I’m going to get our brochure out to all local churches. I’m going to start in the city and then move out into the county.”
Rader is working to get programs such as quilting, pottery painting, woodworking and basketweaving up and running at the Roby Center.
The center has also started serving meals at its kitchen, now called “Cafe at 203,” for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
“With our congregant meals with people eating here we have been serving about 28 people. That just started back last Tuesday,” Rader said.
The Roby Center also serves as a hub for the delivery of more than 72 meals to the homebound in the local community through Meals on Wheels.
According to Rader, the Roby Center is now also home to 174 new LED light fixtures, which are brighter and more efficient than the center’s old light fixtures.
“If you’ll notice, it’s a lot brighter in here now,” Rader said.
Rader is also working to get a computer lab up and running at the center. The computer lab will have six stations consisting of four laptop computers and two desktop computers.
“It will be beneficial for so many reasons. They can do My Ride requests online or Medicare orders online with the help of the staff here if they need it. There are just so many things we can do. If you need to play solitaire that will be a possibility as well,” Rader said. “We are working with the technology department from the Greeneville City Schools to come over and do some technology classes in the future.”
Rader said she is also working on getting smartphone education classes at the center.
Rader said that she and the staff at the center are also working to clean out and freshen up the building.
“We’re not getting rid of things that are of historical value or anything like that, but we are getting rid of things that are broken or not useful anymore. We got rid of an old ripped couch the other day. We have gotten rid of three dumpsters full of stuff,” Rader said. “We’re pretty much trying to touch everything up. We’ve cleaned house and we have a lot to go. On Fridays we are taking it one room at a time. We work on a room until we get it done and then we go on to the next one.”
Rader said the the Greeneville Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments have helped keep the building maintained inside and out.
Rader said that she has enjoyed her first month as director of the adult center.
“It’s been really fun. I appreciate the opportunity to work with a wonderful team in addition to all the wonderful members the Roby serves. This position is truly a blessing,” Rader said.
According to Rader, she wants the Roby Center to be in the public eye so that local residents can see the many different programs it has to offer.
“Honestly, with all our programming and the new programs we are working on, you could come here every day. It’s not just bingo. You can create new friendships and occupy your entire day in addition to helping meet your recreational, educational, spiritual and therapeutic needs,” Rader said. “For our members, we want to be their home away from home. We want for them to have fun and be able to maintain their independent lifestyles.”
Rader is excited about the Roby’s future after spending nearly a month as its new director.
“It’s coming together and I hope that we will continue to grow. It’s just a work in progress. It’s a team effort, and I think we’re making strides,” Rader said. “Our main goal is to grow membership, and I think we are well on our way to that.”
The Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Membership dues are $10 annually.
For more information about the Roby Center and the programs it offers, visit greenevilletn.gov and click on “Roby Adult Center” under the “Departments” tab or call the center at 423-639-3128.
