Many senior citizens may become discouraged by their inability to be active at times or to move around as quickly as they once did in their youth. One local church desires to keep seniors active both physically and mentally, while providing fun at the same time.

Grant Chapel A.M.E. Church holds weekly educational activities for area seniors every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. inside the church’s fellowship hall. A project that began in summer 2011, current activities include physical fitness and entertainment programs, field trips, arts and crafts, computer training and workshops to name a few.

Church public information officer Blanche Jones said the program, which started Jan. 11 for the New Year, will be ongoing.

“Anybody — all seniors, are welcome,” Jones said, who feels the event is important for seniors. “The elderly, they mostly are at home without anything to do and it’s a chance to get out of the house for a while and have some activities and meet other seniors as well.”

Jones said seniors have gone out to restaurants as a group, have taken trips to Montgomery to visit museums, exchanged gifts and participated in numerous projects.

“It (the event) keeps their mind motivated and not one place looking at TV or sitting in a chair doing nothing,” Jones said. “They’re looking forward to the senior outreach program; we’re trying to get our seniors coming, involved and fellowshipping with one another.”

Jones, who said she has a passion for the elderly, said Grant Chapel is on a mission.

“I love me some old people,” Jones chuckled. “What we’re really trying to do is motivate people to go to churches and do different activities; we’re on a mission to try to improve activities in our church.”

For more information about the church community outreach program, call 412-9577.