Retirees in Pennsylvania and Delaware gravitate toward social support programs

Kimelheim said the programs at KleinLife offer opportunities to people to engage their brains and bodies in group settings.

“And to try new things that they’ve never done before and to just keep themselves as active as possible for as long as possible,” she said. “It’s a great way to make friends, because many people have lost friends because they’ve moved or become ill or passed away, and they find new relationships here.”

Retirement can be a wonderful time in life, said Raydine Thomas-Adams, 70, of Northeast Philly. But preparing for it and adjusting to a new daily routine after leaving the workforce has its challenges.

“That’s the problem. You wake up and you have nothing to really do,” she said. “You’re not going anywhere, and you can’t spend so much money, because now you’re on a budget.”

Thomas-Adams said she tried retiring at least three different times, the first after working in administration at Coca-Cola’s local bottling and distribution companies. But she needed something to do, she said, and got a part-time job in banking which later led to another full-time job in finance.

She still considers herself retired even though she now works at KleinLife through a multi-state program called Maturity Works, which helps place older adults in positions at nonprofit organizations for up to four years.

On a recent Tuesday, she was helping work the lunch shift.

“It’s good for my heart, too … and people want to see you and see how you’re getting along, that it can be done,” said Thomas-Adams. “It’s just feeling your life and enjoying retirement and age, as long as you move. You know, you’re given your feet, but you have to move them.”

Others at KleinLife volunteer their time to lead classes, activities or help run other programs, which is another appealing option for people looking for new ways to fill their time, said Stephanie Hampson, KleinLife’s marketing director.

“We have so many things that people consistently are here for because of the volunteering aspect,” she said. “And that’s their way of the socialization piece, too, and being able to meet people.”

The WHYY health desk is expanding coverage of aging in the Delaware Valley. To share a personal experience or story idea, email reporter Nicole Leonard at nleonard@whyy.org.