Suffolk News-Herald

Reaching the age of retirement can be fun when you have organizations like the Tabernacle Christian Church Senior Ministry to fill your life with excitement and fun activities.

The ministry began in 2000 for the purpose of giving seniors something to do during the day and was specifically formed for retired individuals. At the present time there are 14 seniors enrolled.

The Rev. Rosa Cooper is the director and Virginia Doughty is the program coordinator.

Doughty is a retired teacher after 37 years of service from the Suffolk City Public School System and Cooper is a retired registered nurse (RN) with 36 years of service. Cooper is now a minister and a candidate for the Master of Divinity degree at the Virginia University of Lynchburg.

Doughty said that the group takes fun trips on a regular basis and has traveled as far as Lancaster, Pa. to see a play called &uot;Daniel.&uot;

&uot;We spent the night and went shopping the next day,&uot; said Doughty. &uot;We have also traveled to the Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach and to Edenton, N.C. to dine at Nixon Restaurant. We have been to many other places and are planning to take another trip to Lancaster in April 2004 to the Sight and Sound Theater to see a play called &uot;Abraham and Sarah.&uot;

The ministry is in the process of knitting its latest project, a quilt with a colorful pattern. Doughty said that when it is completed, it will be raffled off during a craft program that will be sponsored by the ministry in order that the public may view arts and crafts activities in which the group is participating. In addition, when all of these activities are not taking place, seniors are having fun with playing Bingo or other similar games. The best thing about this program is that it is open to anyone age 55 and up and is a free activity.

Hours are from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday and lunch is served two days a week- Monday and Friday.

&uot;Seniors donate money for the lunches which is an amount of their choice but the lunches are very nutritious and delicious and everyone seems to enjoy them,&uot; said Doughty. &uot;Anyone can join us at anytime. You don’t have to be a member of Tabernacle. All that is required of you is to be the age of a senior citizen and be willing to be a part of seniors on the move and in the groove.&uot;