By SANDRA THAMES / Community Columnist

Alicia Walters, adult therapeutic senior citizens center manager in Alabaster, has seen the center grow from a small frame house with limited activities to the beautiful, huge center on former Siluria Mill land.

The interior is filled with comfortable seating, dining, game rooms, front and back porches, beautiful art, reprints of “old Alabaster” (very interesting) and tons of local information.

Three full-time and three part-time employees along with numerous volunteers make the Alabaster Center a welcome respite on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. A nutritious lunch, along with activities such as rook, bridge, Wii bowling, gardening, art, several kinds of dancing, “church singing,” Bible study, horseshoes, crochet, shuffleboard, Zentangle Inspired, fitness classes, walking, bingo, floral design, and many games are just a sampling of the many activities offered at the Center.

In addition, there are trips to out of the area attractions and restaurants. AARP offers a brush-up driving class, cheese biscuits are provided by Jim ‘n Nicks, a form of scrapbooking and tips on insurance paperwork are provided. Positive thinking classes, information on budget-friendly foods, blood pressure checks and other valuable information is always being checked out and researched by the staff.

The Center is open to any senior Shelby County resident and the usual attendance is between 60-70 people. Some stay only for classes while others choose to eat lunch and stay all day.

Knowing her people personally, greeting them by name and being excited for her achievements and future goals makes Walters popular with the folks at the center. Eleven and 20-passenger buses are provided through grants and ALDOT.

Trips to a Trussville eatery, a gardening trip to St. Clair County, Bright Star in Bessemer, a local Cracker Barrel, the Selma Pilgrimage, Regional Library, Paul Bryant Museum and the Cypress Inn are just a few of their recent trips taken or trips scheduled for the future.

Alicia and her staff and contract instructors and volunteers are doing a job of which our growing city of Alabaster should be very proud.