By Camilla Mortensen
We’re a couple years past Netflix and chill and the days of COVID shutdowns (and hoping to stay that way), but some of us are still figuring out how to get out more. They say it’s harder to make friends as you get older. A poll by the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation said that “in 2023, one in three adults age 50–80 (34 percent) reported feeling isolated from others.” And a Pew Research Center poll said that “about half of adults 65 and older (49 percent) say they have five or more close friends.”
So how do we get out and hang out more?
Most sports have masters divisions, but some of us just want to play or exercise for fun. Whether it’s fun or competition, I think we can safely say that pickleball is one way the Gen X and older generation gets its heart rate up. And, of course, the Eugene Family YMCA (EugeneYmca.org) offers a multitude of classes for those of us trying to maintain aging bodies. If you do want to revisit your high school sports days, or maybe even grade school, check out Playground Sports (PlaygroundSports.com), which offers kickball, dodgeball and even cornhole from time to time (and, of course, both the Y and Playground Sports offer pickleball).
Then, for those of us who associate PE with showing up to class sweaty, there are clubs more oriented to good deeds and intellectual pursuits. I have been attending — and speaking at — City Club of Eugene (CityClubofEugene.org) for years. It probably helps that I am a public radio nerd, so I have listened to the inquiry-focused community forum most Monday nights on KLCC. But more recently, I’ve branched out to check out some other adult-oriented clubs (and I mean that as in mature in age, not in as for mature audiences only), and it turns out college and high school are not the only times you can join a group of like-minded folks and hang out.
Extra points, however, if you bring some young folks with you — all these clubs need members from the next generation to keep going!
The Eugene and Springfield area have a plethora of Rotary Clubs meeting any time from 7 am on Fridays at the Eugene Mission (1542 West 1st Avenue, Springfield Twin Rivers Rotary on Facebook) to Thursdays at noon (Eugene Southtowne Rotary, also at the Eugene Mission, SouthtowneRotary.org). Having stopped by both groups in recent months, I can say you’ll find an interesting group of people from a variety of political and social backgrounds who care about the world around them. I can also vouch that lunch and breakfast at the Mission’s Learning Center is top notch.
They bring in speakers, support each other and even sponsor students who come to the U.S. to study. Head over to My.rotary.org/en/club-search and type in your location.
Greg O’Hanlon of Twin Rivers points to Rotary’s website, which says, “Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”
The Kiwanis Club (Kiwanis.org) is another group devoted to service and conversation — and in the case of the Eugene Kiwanis (K00223.site.kiwanis.org), they meet at Countryside Pizza & Grill, Thursdays at noon. Kiwanis focuses on improving the lives of children in the community, and like Rotary brings in interesting speakers.
Both the Rotary and Kiwanis groups I dropped in on used “happy bucks” — basically, a small contribution to the group’s cause that lets the giver talk about something positive.
Eugene’s Downtown Lions Club (E-clubhouse.org/sites/eugene_downtown) also meets at the Mission, at noon the first and third Wednesday of each month. The Lions serve both locally and globally, and recent programs have featured speakers from Hope and Safety Alliance and “Start Making A Reader Today.”
Soroptimist International, empowering women and girls, has a Eugene chapter, as does the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, which focuses on meeting the needs of veterans and improving the quality of life in the community. Springfield has its own City Club (SpringfieldCityClub.org) meeting at noon the first and third Thursdays of the month at Roaring Rapids Pizza, 4006 Franklin Boulevard in Glenwood.
City of Eugene Recreation also offers a variety of programs for older adults through Amazon, Campbell and Peterson Barn Community centers (Eugene-or.gov/135/Adults-Seniors). Activities — including classes in woodworking, art and an upcoming stand-up paddleboarding for seniors class — are designed to promote and maintain health and well-being and strengthen support networks.
In Springfield, Willamalane Parks and Recreation District’s Adult Activity Center (Willamalane.org, 215 West C Street) near Island Park, also offers a space for older adults seeking connection and enrichment. Among other activities and offerings, the center hosts recreation and fitness classes, an art gallery and a rock and gem studio.