Volunteers at Fort Worth’s Diamond Hill Community Center have accepted new responsibilities to keep their senior program running.
The Diamond Hill senior program is one the twenty-six sites funded by the Senior Citizen Services of Tarrant County.
Due to a cut in city spending, the Diamond Hill Community Center lost its site director for their Senior Citizen Services program two years ago.
Since the loss of their site director, regular volunteers have assumed all responsibilities of keeping the senior program operational.
“If they stay at home, the only person they have are four walls to look at or a television,” Volunteer Director Jesus Torres said.
Many seniors come to avoid depression and play game or to simply eat a free hot meal, Torres said.
Community Center Supervisor Cirilo Pedroza oversees all activities at the community center and is proud of the work the volunteers have been able to do.
“It takes people to do a program like this and they all stepped up,” Pedroza said.
Volunteer Directors are in charge of taking care of paper work, fundraising, facilitating activities and serving food.
Seniors can participate in the senior program at no cost and show up on any day of their choosing.
The senior program runs between 8 a.m and 1 p.m Monday through Friday.
Seniors spend most of their time socializing with each other to avoid feeling isolated at home.
The senior program is helping to connect local seniors and prevent the negative mental health effects of loneliness.

To learn more on how to volunteer with SCS senior programs or at the Diamond Hill Community Center, call 817-392-5485.