New Year’s Connection

For the past 31 years the Senior Center staff at the Shih Yu-​Lang Central YMCA along with a core of dedicated volunteers have hosted New Year’s Connection, a New Year’s Day luncheon and party for 300 low income seniors living in the Tenderloin and SOMA neighborhoods. Local seniors began to gather early in the morning in anticipation of this annual event which includes a hot lunch, live music, raffle prizes and a goodie bag distribution at the conclusion of the event.
I arrived nearly an hour before my scheduled shift to find the second floor YMCA auditorium already set up with long folding tables, bright white table coverings and a large colorful assortment of party hats and noise makers already set out on each table. Plates of green salad in vinaigrette were being set out at each place setting.
As more volunteers began to show up we gathered in the auditorium and were orientated by the volunteer coordinator as to how to go about our duties. Basically, the seniors attending the party would check in at the front desk, be given a raffle ticket and colorful party beads and led to the auditorium where the volunteers would help seat them, offer hot and cold beverages, pick up their salad plates once they had finished and serve them their hot lunch and desserts. Volunteers were paired up two per specific table to make sure the honored guests were well taken care of.
My volunteer partner suggested that she wasn’t a very good server prior to our duties, and since I knew I wasn’t very good at it either we decided to just go with the flow. As it turned out it was such a blast and everybody, from the seniors to the volunteers to the YMCA staff, proceeded to have a great time. After the salad sequence the kitchen crew got busy and dished out plate after plate of juicy ham, scalloped potatoes, steamed green beans and soft dinner rolls. As each of us carried out the large serving trays filled with hot lunch plates for our volunteer partners to serve to the guests, the smiling faces, the nods of approval and the many thank you’s made for a very rewarding experience.
As the seniors dined members of a Dixieland band played on stage. There was one table in particular that seemed especially rowdy. I turned to see where all the noise was coming from to see a group of about a dozen or so seniors with party hats on, all standing, clapping, spinning noise makers and just having a real good time.
Shortly after all of the guests had put away the last forkfuls of decadent dessert cakes, the San Francisco Gay & Lesbian Freedom Band along with their mascot Sam took to the stage. That’s when the party really began as seniors throughout the room began to get up and dance. At one point a long conga line even snaked across the room. Good times!
When the event finally ended each guest, and each volunteer for that matter, was given a nice gift bag filled with personal hygiene products, nuts and fresh fruit. I had such a great time myself I suggested to the volunteer coordinator to add my name to his contact list so that I could do it again next year. I’ve posted a few photos from the party in the photo section. If you’re interested in volunteering please contact the phone number above and ask for Greg or the volunteer coordinator at the Senior Center. Happy New Year, everybody!