Seniors in San Francisco have many good programs to choose from.
San Francisco Recreation & Park Senior Programs
The city’s Parks Department offers a lot of recreational and social programs for adults 55 and older.
The Golden Gate Park Senior Center, at Fulton and 37th Avenue, offers dance, bingo, arts and crafts, card games, special outings and more. For a schedule and information about fees, call the Center at (415) 666-7015.
The City-Wide Senior Adult Program sponsors special events and programs, including an annual Valentine’s Day Dance, which is free; “Hop and Shop” trips to shopping outlets; Senior Trekkers, a group which goes on 2-5 mile hikes in natural areas; an annual prom; five-day trips to Camp Mather, near Yosemite, with bus transportation included; an annual overnight trip to a different place every year (past trips have included Reno, Monterey, and San Simeon); and a holiday outing to Gilroy’s outlet stores. For more information about these programs, including more detailed descriptions, dates, photographs of past events, and a contact address for applications, see the SF Park & Rec Senior Adult Program page and click on the link on that page for the PDF brochure.
Senior Clubs meet in many playgrounds, recreation centers, and pools throughout the city. Clubs usually meet once or twice per week. Each location offers different programs, among them activities such as bingo, bridge, arts and crafts, swimming, dance, speakers/lecturers, exercise, tai chi, tennis, outings, and more. For more detailed information on locations and programs, see the brochure mentioned in the paragraph above (go to the SF Park & Rec Senior Adult Program page and click on the link on that page for the PDF brochure), and scroll down to page 6.
RSVP is an organization that matches adults 55 and over with volunteer opportunities in over 100 sites in San Francisco, including museums, hospitals, parks, senior centers, literacy projects, and more. They also have their own “in-house” volunteer projects, including twice-monthly sorting and packing projects at the SF Food Bank; Tele-Friend, where volunteers call homebound seniors at pre-arranged times; tutoring in the public schools; and giving presentations to teach other seniors how to avoid fraud.
RSVP reimburses volunteers for some of their travel expenses, produces a quarterly newsletter, recognition events, and workshops. For more information, see the RSVP website.
Jewish Community Center
The Montefiore Senior Center at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center offers day trips, holiday luncheons, classes, groups and clubs centered on various interests, free monthly birthday parties with refreshments and musical performances, and a kosher lunch program. Transportation assistance to and from the JCC is available. For more information, call the Montefiore Senior Center at (415) 292-1262 or see their online catalogue.
Stonestown YMCA
The Stonestown Y’s Senior Center, located on 20th Avenue, is open to anyone 60 or older. The Center offers fitness classes specially designed for active older adults, personal enrichment and community college classes, health screenings, daily hot lunches, special events, and domestic and overseas excursions. Many of the programs are free or low-cost. For more information, including contact names and phone numbers for the various programs, see their website.
Central YMCA
The Central YMCA Senior Center, located at Golden Gate Avenue and Leavenworth Street, offers exercise programs, swimming and water aerobics, classes, workshops, trips, cultural activities, and potlucks. They also have many volunteer opportunities for seniors. For more information, see their website, call Omar Mosley, Associate Director of the Senior Center at (415) 447-2508, or email [email protected].
Sixty-Plus is a group affiliated with San Francisco State University and the Institute on Gerontology that offers speakers, day trips, and social events including luncheons. For more information see the Sixty-Plus page or call (415) 566-9347.
