Making new friends and staying active is important. That’s what Mercy Hilltop in Erie is all about. It is a subcontracted senior center through GECAC’s Area Agency on Aging. Among the classes offered is this one, where hundreds of knitted hats are made and donated to public schools through the United Way.

Check out how it’s giving seniors a new lifeline, in this week’s Giving You the Business Report.

This chair yoga group is serious about making the activity a part of their week.

"I do chair chair yoga, qigong, and then I do ballet on Tuesdays," said Roberta Yetman. 

Roberta Yetman and fellow seniors have found a place that is serious about the wellness of senior citizens.

"It was a way to reach out to seniors to give them inspiration. mind, body and spiritual wellness," said Dina Scribner. 

Dina Scribner is talking about the start of the Mercy Hilltop Senior Center, created by the Sisters of Mercy in 1973.

While no religious programs are offered, seniors can check in. They can choose a scheduled program when they visit, that ranges from a variety of group games even painting class—where these works of art along the back wall have come from.

Seniors can also gather outside in the newly opened and landscaped outdoor area, all thanks to funding from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority or ECGRA. It’s a place to have lunch or just enjoy companionship.

A social worker is also available to navigate bills, banking, and life concerns. A staff nurse can also meet one-on-one to guide the senior with medical questions.

There’s about 400 or so members here at the Mercy Hilltop Center that opened in August of 2021 off 38th and Pennsylvania Avenue. And if you ask about membership, it’s simply $25 dollars a year. You have to be 60 or older and live in Erie County.

"By doing all these things, if they’re engaged, they can help the community still, as a retiree, but they will stay healthier longer," said Scribner. 

Mercy Hilltop relies on donations, and is hoping to gain more support one week from today on Erie Gives Day. All to continue helping area seniors thrive.