There is always something going on at Detroit’s Hartford Senior Center. There is crochet and bowling, boat rides and train trips, dinners and theater.
And, there is Coreen Jones.
Jones, of Detroit, is the center’s volunteer travel planner, and she calls herself a “young” old. That means she is 77, active, lively, in prime health and always on the road. And she usually has at least 20 to 30 pals from the center in tow.
Together, they have seen places like New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Niagara Falls, Alabama and Washington, D.C.
“I try to encourage people to see more than what their city or state has to offer,” she said.
Jones joined the Hartford Senior Center 25 years ago.
For a while, she was just a regular attendee. Then she took over as volunteer travel coordinator, and the group has been on the go since. Her first venture — a trip to Mackinac Island — was well received, she said, because seniors at the center longed to get out and have new experiences.
“They wanted things to do and places to see,” Jones said of her group. “A lot of them have lost their [spouses], they’ve given up their homes and now live in senior communities, and they wanted to get out and go somewhere.”
Annually, Jones and her helper, Norma Kelly, plan at least five trips.
Group members range in age from 60 to 80. Jones defines her group as “springy.” “They’re slow, but their minds are good,” she said. “And they’re open to learning something every day.”
So Jones keeps them busy.
But she never forgets with whom she’s working. That means a special brand of care and attention when planning a trip, she said. It means spacing out activities so her members can move at a slower pace, and making each trip meaningful, enjoyable and fun, but not overwhelming them and wearing them out.
Most importantly, she said, it is making every trip affordable so everyone can participate.
“These are mostly working people,” Jones said. “They’re retired from factory jobs and office jobs. These are people who’ve never had a chance to travel like this.”
Jones, however, is a different story.
As a stay-at-home mother of five, Jones never stayed home.
She was always traveling with one child or another. Be it with the high-school band in Mexico, a Girl Scout or Boy Scout camping trip, or a quick jaunt with the Glee Club, her bags were always packed and ready.
They still are.
In addition to her travel with the Hartford Senior Center, Jones also puts together trips for her church and travels with other groups.
In April, she did a 10-day Peru trip. In August, she’ll spend another 10 days in Africa. And whatever else lies ahead, she will most likely be up for it.
“I’m a nut for the road,” Jones said. “I’m a travel fanatic. I truly enjoy life to the fullest.”
