El Paso senior centers offer a cool place for the elderly

Recent rain showers have given El Paso a slight break from the triple-digit temperatures, but El Pasoans know how brutal the heat can get.

For the elderly, the hot weather can be crucial to their health.

The El Paso Parks and Recreation Department has ten senior citizen centers that offer a cool place to beat the heat.

To be a member of a local senior citizen center, you must 60 years of age or older and provide Texas identification. Membership is free.

“It is a good place to get out of the heat in the first place, they have a lot of good times here,” said Joe Borunda.

Borunda has attended the South El Paso Senior Center for more than a year and also volunteets. “They have games here, they eat here, watch television, play pool, play bingo, play lottery, they really enjoy themselves.”

Georgina Rose, recreation specialist at the center, said it is a popular hangout for some of the senior citizens who live in the Segundo Barrio.

“We have a tendency to have more attendants during the summer months because people are bored at their home. Some don’t have any grandchildren or anybody around them,” said Rose.

Some senior centers also have a buddy system where members are asked to find a friend within the center and swap phone numbers. That way, they can check up on one another during the summer.

“They are very caring about each other,” said Rose.

Below are locations and phone numbers of the ten senior centers in El Paso:

Eastside
M-F, 9am-4pm
3200 Fierro St.
(915) 591-4292

Father Martinez
M-F, 9am-4pm
9311 Alameda Ave.
(915) 860-9131

Grandview Park
M-F, 9am-4pm
3134 Jefferson Ave.
(915) 566-1217

Hilos De Plata
M-F, 9am-4pm
4451 Delta St.
(915) 533-3207

Happiness
M-F, 9am-4pm
563 N. Carolina St.
(915) 594-8934

Memorial Park
M-F, 9am-4pm
1800 Byron St.
(915) 562-4260

Polly Harris
M-F, 9am-4pm
650 Wallenberg St.
(915) 581-9525

San Juan
M-F, 9am-4pm
5701 Tamburo Court
(915) 772-8365

South El Paso
M-F, 9am-4pm
600 S. Ochoa St.
(915) 577-9870

Wellington Chew
M-F, 9am-4pm
4430 Maxwell St.
(915) 757-2523