Northwest Seniors, Singles Bridge Generation Gap
Northwest seniors and singles gather for combined activity.

OREGON—Eleven seniors gathered at Bruce and Vickie Young’s home for a senior brunch on Sept. 14, 2014.

Five singles from the Wilsonville congregation arrived early to prepare and serve the brunch. Kristina Brown directed the decor, a combination of turquoise and silver with glass centerpieces filled with water and floating candles.

Before brunch was served, the seniors and singles broke the ice with “get-to-know-you-Bingo.” Everyone mingled as they looked for someone who fulfilled one or more of the 25 categories, such as, who had met Mr. Armstrong or lived during the Great Depression. The latter was true for senior Roger Koch.

“I was born at the tail end of it—my dad said I caused it,” Koch jokingly said.

After Bingo, the seniors sat for the meal. The single men served in traditional restaurant style, while the single ladies fulfilled the orders in the kitchen. After the meal, the seniors lingered at the table until the singles joined them for more opportunities to bridge the age gap.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know the young singles in a social setting,” member Ellen Jameson said.

The group spent the final hour and a half playing board and card games like Pinochle, Dominos and Checkers.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the brunch. I loved the interaction between the three generations that were there,” avid Pinochle player Mary Sanner said.