City Channel Pittsburgh, PA CityTalk with John McIntire, 31 May 2018

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From YouTube: CityTalk with John McIntire: Amy Kreger

Description

On this episode of CityTalk, John McIntire interviews Mount Washington Healthy Active Living Senior Community Center Director Amy Kreger.

A

Hi I'm John McIntyre, welcome to city talk here on city channel Pittsburgh. We are here with Amy Krieger of the Mount Washington senior active, healthy living Center Amy welcome to the program. Thank you. Let's tell people what you do and what the institution is which you work certainly.

B

I am the center director for the Mount Washington healthy, active living senior community center. We are a community recreation center, a place where our folks come to meet and enjoy one another's company and.

A

That can be really important for some people. It's a place to go and a social circle and really meaningful to a lot of the individuals who attend absolutely.

B

Our goal is to help people keep people involved in their community throughout the years, and we do that by offering education through classes, partnerships with CCAC, we offer health and fitness classes. We also provide hot meals five days a week. That's.

A

Great and for as much as a suggested donation of like fifty cents, that's.

B

A

Been to all thirteen healthy, active living, centers- google- it if you don't know where yours is, there's probably one near you in the city of Pittsburgh and observe the interaction between staff and the seniors who go there. They all seem to be very, very dedicated into making sure the experience is everything it can be for the seniors. Absolutely.

B

We come to know everyone so well, we feel like family is.

A

That right, yes, the good and the bad parts of family. Well, mostly the good all right you mentioned among the things you focus on is nutrition and exercise I'm, assuming a lot of people would rather eat a doughnut than a granola bar and not everybody's crazy, about exercise either. So how do you work with the seniors in that regard? That's.

B

True well as an exercise physiologist, so.

A

B

I encourage folks to think about physical activity more along the lines of enjoyment and fun things like line dancing or physically active games like the senior games that are coming up where people can compete for prizes as opposed to just a chore that they have to plot along in the treadmill to enjoy the benefits of ingenious.

A

Strategy and then how at work it.

B

Works pretty well. People really enjoy knowing that they're exercising for their health, but at the same time, enjoying their friends and having the opportunity to enjoy good quality, music and or win prizes are.

A

You also an expert line dancer who teaches the line dancing. I am.

B

Not a line dancer.

A

B

Myself, I'm more along the lines of the Jane Fonda Richard, Simmons, aerobics, dance, school I.

A

B

We have a lot of great volunteers who teach line dancing at different centers throughout the city. If.

A

You had your choice, would you rather dance with Jane, Fonda or Richard Simmons? Oh.

B

Now, that's a tough one, you don't.

A

Even have to answer you're not required answer Angela. What about the nutritional aspect? You want people to eat healthy, but who doesn't want. You know some nice junk food because we're Americans and that's what we do well.

B

That's one of the great things about the centers that are through our partnership with the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, the meals that we serve five days a week are very well balanced in terms of the nutrition and calories that they offer. It's very appropriate dessert every day is fruit, for example, no kidding yes does.

A

Anybody ever complain, they want chocolate, cake or something or I.

B

Think people are grateful for the fact that we treat them like adults and serve them good quality, nutritious food. So.

A

How did you get into a city government in the first place when.

B

I saw that a position for recreation leader was open. I interviewed for the position with my background in exercise science as a goal of increasing the amount of physical activity that our seniors get on a regular basis and.

A

What made you want to get into that I mean I, think it's a fascinating field, but just because it's something that needs to be done and somebody needs to do it. I've.

B

Always enjoyed working with older adults, it's a really remarkable population. You consider just how much wisdom and experience that these folks have had they're a joy to work with and.

A

I bet they appreciate that you they can see it in your face, your sincerity, I'm sure you're, not patronizing, or nobody's shuffling them off into a corner. They're human beings like the rest of us and should be treated with dignity and respect. As you point out absolutely.

B

In fact, with a great deal more honor than we typically do because of their accumulated wisdom, yeah.

A

What what happened to respect for seniors is that dissipated? You thing I know we're just two people talking here and you may not be an expert in that, but I think.

B

America has been obsessed with youth for a pretty long time, we're actually a young country compared to many others in the world, but we're learning over time as the graying of America progresses that it is worth our investment in our older adults for the long haul, I couldn't.

A

Agree more but that's because I'm no spring chicken and so and how long have you been at.

B

The Senior Center I've been working at the Mount Washington Senior Center for the last two years as a full-time center director and.

A

As I understand it, sometimes there are programs that are led at another Center, but you can see them because you've got an awesome. Video hookup, yes,.

B

Through our partnership with the Jewish Health Care Foundation, we are participants in what's called the virtual Senior Academy, so classes are held streaming online and can be picked up at the different centers or people can participate in the classes from their computer at home. I teach yoga on Thursdays and.

A

How does that work out? It's.

B

Wonderful, we get a number of different participants from several different centers, including Lawrenceville and Sheridan, and the seniors are able to watch me on the big screen TV and follow along with the activities. Thank.

A

Goodness for technology, so you don't have to be necessarily particularly limber or no.

B

We see it's a chair, yoga class, that's designed for people of all levels and abilities. There's.

A

Something you want to do the two been able to do yet I've been able to implement I'm.

B

Hoping to with our partnership with for one food rescue through the American Heart Association's check, change, control program address the idea of food waste and whenever you are doing a sort of a cafeteria style meal plan, sometimes food does go to waste, but Pittsburgh for one food rescue has been working to reduce that so I'm, hoping that we'll be able to partner with out and.

A

How might that be accomplished between you and the for one? That's.

B

A

B

Be determined we'll have to work with the county on that as well, but.

A

You might show up at restaurants that are going to throw away food that sort of thing no.

B

I'm looking at addressing the waste within the center, someone, for example, is not real thrilled with their barley for the day and instead of it going in the trash. Perhaps we can find it a better solution for that will need to work with the Allegheny County area on Aging good.

A

For you, so you seem like you like your job. I. Do that's that's a rarity right there in American society today. What do you think? What do you say? I think.

B

That most folks would say: oh I, really like working with the people that the people wouldn't exist without the place so I enjoy both it's an act, an.

A

Incredibly useful service I think the government provides absolutely.

B

At a very reasonable cost- and it fosters a community involvement which is important for civic life overall and.

A

Is there anything you've learned from them over the years you say they have accumulated wisdom? Have you been able to take advantage of any of that? Yes,.

B

They have taught me that I have a tendency to rush in and try to get things done extremely quickly and that that is not always productive. Sometimes it's better to wait and to be patient really.

A

Well, I've just sucked up some of the accumulated ways myself because I I think I'm too much like you, perhaps Amy Krieger. Thank you so much for talking to us today, great conversation. Thank you. I'm John, McIntyre you've been watching City talk, we'll see you next time.

A