This article originally appeared in the July 2021 edition of Senior Scope. Article by Seth Thomas.
On June 1, the Rochester Council on Aging welcomed its new director, Eric Poulin, who replaced Cheryl Randall.
Poulin previously worked with the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office where he served as the Program Manager for the Community Affairs Unit. He has more than 20 years of experience with assisting older adults.
“The last seven years, I was working for the district attorney’s office,” Poulin said. “I was doing education and prevention programs around senior issues. I think that’s an important piece that I want to bring to the center.”
He stepped into the role just as the state began to ease its COVID-19 restrictions, providing an opportunity for more programs to return to the center following months of remote services.
Moving forward, he intends to market the center through Facebook and offer new programs at the center. Given his background, he also intends to offer more educational programs. For example, on July 21, the center is welcoming the Attorney General’s office to present on contractor scams.
The center’s popular breakfast program, the Ye Olde Breakfast Shoppe, will also return. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekday mornings, the center effectively becomes a restaurant, and anyone – regardless of age or what town they reside in – is welcome to drop by for an affordable breakfast cooked in the center’s kitchen.
Poulin is also looking at the center’s lunchtime offerings. Currently, the center serves meals from Coastline Tuesday through Thursday, with plans to add Fridays to the mix. The Monday lunch program, a meal prepared by volunteers, will soon return as well.
“Thankfully, we have a good group of volunteers and people involved with the senior center,” he said.
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