By E.G. Merkel
If you were one of the 150 or so people attending the Taste of JOY celebration at the Plantation Key Community Center on Feb. 4, you may have heard board vice president John Cooper share a fascinating statistic.
“In 2024, 551 individual people had a total of 4,713 experiences at the JOY Center,” he said.
In 2025, with two days of activities thanks to the successful partnership with Monroe County Parks and Beaches, so many more of our seniors can find JOY. With almost 13,000 Upper Keys residents aged 50 years and older, there’s lots of room to grow.
You may have already guessed that some numbers are going to be tossed around here. The next few articles will share participation, volunteer support and financial support stats for those of you who are enjoying JOY and the thousands who aren’t — yet.
The most cited way someone gets to JOY is by being invited by a friend. Curiosity fueled by social media comes in second. If you’re one to want to be a part of the most popular activities, you definitely have to check out the following ranked by number of experiences in 2024:
1. Yoga. Get flexible and centered Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting at 10 a.m.
2. Tech savvy seniors. Sharpen your tech skills Tuesdays at 8:45 a.m. in person or on Zoom.
3. Ukulele JOY. Strum and sing your way into a great mood at noon on Wednesdays.
4. Mah Jongg (my personal favorite). Learn this challenging game in an encouraging and fun environment on Wednesdays starting at 11 a.m.
5. Line dancing. Learn some new moves and laugh a lot on Wednesdays starting at 11 a.m. in person or on Zoom.
6. Five Crowns. Learn and play this unique version of Rummy on Wednesdays at 1 p.m.
7. Crocheting. Bring your latest project or learn something new on Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m.
These top activities were busiest in January last year. For those of you looking for a slower pace, November would have been your favorite month.
Regular activities with smaller, more intimate group sizes included Joyful Dancing, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. in person or on Zoom; cardio drumming, Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m.; the Original Chat Room, Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m; and Tech Support, Tuesdays at 1 p.m.While that sums up some stats for 2024, there’s always something new popping up at JOY along with the occasional book club, movies, speakers and bunco. Sign up for the weekly newsletter at https://justolderyouthinc.org and come see what you’ve been missing.
