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City native Karen Murphy strives for energy and balance, not for herself but for the eldest members of the community.

In her role as Supervisor of the Asbury Park Senior Center on Springwood Avenue, Murphy and her team amped up the social and recreational programs this year, and have a goal to further grow them in 2017.

“Many of the programs are centered on keeping our seniors balanced in mind, body and health,” Murphy said during Friday’s Annual Holiday Party and Gift Exchange. “It’s about energy. I love people and I love what I do.”

This becomes clear as Murphy discusses the outreach and friendly visits she conducts throughout the year.

“Our seniors will call to let us know they aren’t coming in if they are not feeling well or they are in the hospital,” she said. “I’ll call them just to touch base and if they are not here by the end of the following week, I’ll go and visit.”

Murphy said she considers the calls and visits paramount.

“It is pretty much about letting them know they are loved,” she said. “When I go out into the field, I embrace them. If they want prayer, I’ll pray with them. It’s about whatever makes them feel good.

“You are bringing a feeling of joy to someone who may not get a visit from anyone aside from the person that drops off their meals; sometimes that’s the only face they get to see. We’ll sit and have tea or something like that. All they want is to hear someone’s voice or to see another face.”

A daily structure at the center begins with the flag salute, moment of silence and what Murphy calls ‘Let’s Get Busy,’ a free movement light exercise [that on warmer days can include a walk around the neighboring Springwood Avenue Park track]. There’s a round of the ever-popular Bingo followed by Porch Talk – a morning coffee klatch.

“That’s when they have their coffee and share their morning news,” Murphy explained.

And while 2017 will bring the retirement of the beloved Cane Fu light exercise program [done to music], Murphy said she is working on creating a senior dance group.

“We can bring entertainment in but the seniors entertain as well,” she said. “The group that we have work with one another.”

That collaborative spirit can be found in members bringing in items to share for the coffee klatch as well as for Bingo prizes.

“They donate quite a bit,” Murphy said. “If they have things they don’t want, we wrap it and others win it as a prize. You know, one man’s treasure….”

Donations also come from area venues and organizations, like the bakery items and sandwiches Mt. Springs Ministries of Neptune donates.

This year’s program highlights include mind game challenges to help thwart dementia and Intergenerational Day, which brings Alphabets Preschool kids to the center for games, dance and song. During the municipal Halloween Trick or Treat event at city hall, the seniors turned out in full cheer of the parade of clever costumes and brought in cakes for one another’s birthday celebrations.

Guest speakers addressed a range of topics including those centered on the illnesses seniors are most likely to face and help in setting up insurance plans.

“I have at least four guest speakers a month,” Murphy said. “Monmouth County Consumer Affairs [office] recently came out and did a presentation on how to protect yourself from scams because they are focusing on seniors.”

Trips are varied based on needs and likes, including visits to Columbus and Collingswood auctions, to the malls, big box and grocery stores, as well as to a restaurant.

Interfaith Neighbors Nutritional program provides our meals for a suggested donation of $2.50 but every now and then they want something different, like a steak,” said Murphy, who celebrates her fifth year on the job.

“They do hayrides, visits to museums and Atlantic City,” Murphy said. “Twice a month they do swim aerobics at Red Bank YMCA. I have yoga and tai chi classes, and there’s an in house ceramics class.”

Murphy heads a team of three program development aides, two receptionists and driver Maurice Newsome.

“I have the greatest team in the world because they do what is expected of them,” she said. “It’s very hard to find a group that wants to do the job and loves doing it.”

Goals for the new year range from the easily amended to the near impossible.

While expanding the increasingly popular yoga program from two to four classes may fall under the former, adding afternoon theater trips falls under the latter.

“The challenge is to find theater productions that can fit into our schedule,” Murphy said. “We’re open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday so I cannot take them to Philadelphia if a play starts too late in the afternoon.

That’s because the center’s budget, supported by the Office on Aging and the municipality, is limited. After hours and weekend trips would quickly eat into that budget since Newsome would need to paid double for any overtime hours, she said.

“And most of the plays only have matinees on Saturdays and Sundays, not during our hours of operation,” she said. “But, we’ll keep looking.”

And while, transportation is provided to and from the center and for its off site programs, Murphy hopes to add medical appointments to the list.

“We do day trips all over but we don’t transport for medical appointments right now,” she said. “In the future, I’d love to do that.”

The Asbury Park Senior Citizen Center is located at 1201 Springwood Avenue at Atkins Avenue. For more information visit the municipal website here or call 732-988-5252.

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