If you’re looking for a place filled with love, collaboration and unity—run by someone with a big heart and a strong mind—the Easton Senior Center is the place to go.
Under the dedicated leadership of Val Buckley, who has served as director for more than 35 years, the center ensures that both staff and visitors feel supported, valued and at home.
Buckley has been involved in shaping Easton’s senior community since before the center moved to its current location on Morehouse Road, next to the Easton Country Day School, the Speech Academy and various municipal offices. The town’s former elementary school building at 650 Morehouse Road was undergoing renovations a number of years ago after it was replaced by the new Samuel Staples Elementary School at 515 Morehouse Road. A group of seniors began collecting money to turn part of the original building into a Senior Center.
“The money they saved was $100,000, and they were able to make the downstairs suitable for a senior center,” Buckley said.
From there, the center only grew. Buckley is responsible for putting out a monthly pamphlet that covers the month’s events, important dates and activities ranging from yoga classes to talks on how to avoid scams. One recent initiative invites special needs students from the nearby schools to interact with the seniors on a weekly basis.
“I would say that everything is educational,,” Buckley said. “We like to provide for seniors what we call interesting and stimulating programs.”
Easton State Rep. Anne Hughes, who has sat on Easton’s Commission for the Aging since 2018, has nothing but praise for Buckley and the senior center. The commission consists of five appointed members who develop and coordinate programs for the aging residents in town.
“Almost all families have aging loved ones they are trying to care for, and (Buckley) is a big ally in that work,” said Hughes. “Her warmth and her relationships are what people respond to. Her reputation has spread through word of mouth and that’s why we have so many folks coming in from surrounding areas, because of that personal touch. Easton loves her but so do the surrounding towns.”
The center opens at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, and people can sign up for a variety of different programs. As for the schedule, in the mornings they do activities like exercise, specifically yoga, along with special programs, movies with snacks or a documentary. They tend to do some variation of arts and crafts in the afternoon, following lunch. Volunteers and staff also help seniors with technology. Services at the Senior Center extend beyond these engaging and enriching activities.
“We take people to church, the store, the doctor’s office, and for hospitals we will go as far as the Veterans Administration (in West Haven), Danbury, Norwalk, and that is our typical circle,” said Buckley. “We do draw the line at emergency situations, but we will take people for visits at the hospital.”
The center also stays stocked up on toiletries and sanitary products so people can call and pick them up if they need them. Buckley assure the system stays running to save people from embarrassment, and make sure people are taken care of and able to stay clean. Although they don’t give direct care at the center, they exceed expectations and go as far as they can to make sure everyone is safe and healthy.
“We are also involved outside of the center itself,” said Buckley. “We take people shopping, go to pick up prescriptions, go to shop for them if they can’t go, take them to the library, church, doctors, and hospitals, alter people’s clothes, and other things like massage therapy, haircuts, mani-pedis and more.”
The Senior Center holds annual fundraisers such as the annual Spring Tag Sale event and Christmas Bazaar. It is currently holding a tag sale through April 10, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hughes said Buckley personally calls everyone to remind them to get a flu shot.
“She personally reaches out to everyone that’s registered for an event, makes sure they don’t forget to come, and it goes for getting their taxes done and signing up for energy assistance programs,” said Hughes.
