Brownsville officials cut ribbon on new Senior Center

About 80 members of the city’s elder community on Thursday helped officially open the new Brownsville Senior Center at 519 E. Madison St., amid shouts of “One City” and wellness activities to mark the day.

The city billed the event as a soft opening, but City Manager Helen Ramirez said the festivities at the repurposed former nursing home mean it is now pretty much open for business.

“This will be a second home for many of our seniors. It will also be a place of happiness, of socializing, of understanding how to cook healthy, and also exercise and live healthy,” Ramirez said.

There were tai chi and line dancing demonstrations. As the morning wound down participants played Mexican lotteria.

“We wanted to open the doors in 2024. We’ve accomplished it because our dedicated staff in the City of Brownsville came in and did a good job. And we still have one more phase to finish, which is the kitchen. That will be finished first quarter next year so that our seniors, who right now have only have classes, will have healthy cooking classes and meals, free meals to be provided at lunch time,” she said.

Until now, activities for seniors have been spread across city facilities, she added.

“Cities have limited resources and cities really need to be an extension of our community. What we believe is that we can be more successful when we partner with our communities on projects such as this. From churches to the veteran’s community to the community on aging to the revival of cultural arts, many people are represented here,” Ramirez said, explaining the One City concept.

Rose Timmer, Healthy Communities of Brownsville executive director, said Brownsville’s elder community has been pushing for such a facility for years.

“It’s an old nursing home. It came to fruition with this new commission, this new mayor that’s listening to what the elders need in their city. They’re working with different organizations, Alzheimer’s from UTRGV, AARP, Well Med, all of those places that have services for senior people. So, we all came together and pushed it and pushed it and here we are now today,” Timmer said.

“They’re going to have classes, nutrition classes, craft classes, resources, education, computer and technology, things that you need as an elder person,” she said.

“We are aging. The population is getting older, but it’s still active. They’re not sitting at home doing nothing. You saw the ladies that were doing tai chi, all very well manicured, well dressed. They’re ready to do things. We want to make Brownsville vibrant for older people, ” Timmer said.

Ella Rios, a retired Brownsville Independent School District librarian, said she’s glad to see the new Senior Center.

“Suddenly we have something that keeps seniors engaged mentally, physically, emotionally and socially, so that already improves our longevity. …This is such a positive move forward for our community. There are many communities in the Valley that have something like this but there are some that have nothing. … For me, I knew I needed to do something, get moving. And then I found this.”

Ramirez noted that the building also houses an office for veterans services. It will remain active, and veterans will, of course, have access to activities at the center.

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