The Activity Centers at Senior Friendship Centers are energetic, light-filled spaces where seniors can take
classes, exercise, play cards, socialize, shop at our thrift store, create art, find a book at our library, learn a new language, and learn about healthy aging. The Center creates community in every sense of the word – by providing a comfortable place to gather, dance to live Big Band music every weekday from 1-3 pm, have coffee with friends, or enjoy a healthy lunch.
Adult Day Care
We offer a licensed day program featuring supervised, engaging activities for seniors with cognitive or medical issues. It’s an inviting place to socialize with others, sharpen cognitive skills, reduce frustration, enjoy healthy meals, and feel valued.
Caregiver Resources and Support
The Caregiver Resource Center offers a wealth of resources for caregivers. We can help you decide the best plan for you and your family and offer tools to support you on your caregiving journey. We also have support groups where you can ask questions, voice concerns and get new ideas from others.
For more information, visit The Caregiving Place.
The Center for Aging Studies offers educational programs and shares tools and resources to help older adults live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives. A wide variety of courses featuring local, regional and national experts are offered throughout the year. The Center for Aging Studies is also an accredited continuing educational program of Senior Friendship Centers in Sarasota. CE courses are offered to licensed mental and allied health professionals practicing in the fields of Social Work Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
While Senior Friendship Centers is no longer accepting applications for the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP), we remain committed to helping older adults understand where to turn for energy bill assistance and find the right next step.
If you are age 50+ and need help with an electric or gas bill, assistance may still be available through Florida’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP. Older adults may apply online at https://floridaliheap.com or contact the local LIHEAP Community Action Agency that serves their county. To find your local agency, visit www.FloridaJobs.org/LIHEAPHelp.
If you have a shut-off notice or your service has already been disconnected, please contact your local LIHEAP agency right away. Before applying, gather your utility bill, photo ID, proof of income or benefits, and any shut-off notice you may have.
Senior Friendship Centers cannot process energy assistance applications, but we can help point you in the right direction. Please call (941) 955-2122 for guidance. For other local resources, call 2-1-1. For immediate danger or a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.
Isolation is a challenge older adults often deal with when they choose to age in place. Especially if a spouse or partner passes away, survivors sometimes fail to thrive on their own without intervention. We provide these programs:
- Telephone Reassurance – Volunteers will call once or twice a week to check on their clients and engage them in conversation.
- Friendly Visitor Program – Volunteers are matched with a senior who requests a friend to come and chat, help with errands, play games or just enjoy companionship.
- Supportive Intervention Programs – Our Friendship at Home coordinators can help clients with limited mobility access community resources to meet their needs.
We can help arrange for the most appropriate care for your older relative, family and you. Knowledge, experience, respect and compassion ensure that you and your loved one feel comfortable with the decisions made and the quality of care provided. Our trained case managers provide assessment of needs, in-home services, follow-up visits and monitoring of care. Call the Elder Helpline at (866) 413-5337.
Enjoy a meal in a friendly social setting for the 60+ crowd at our Sarasota Friendship Café, Monday-Friday from 11:45-12:15. We can also arrange for the delivery of nutritious meals to isolated seniors through our Friendship Home Delivered Meals program.
Learn More at Nutrition and Dining
If you are having difficulty managing on your own in your home, we may be able to help. Our case managers can arrange for special services such as personal aides and housekeeping, as well as crisis intervention in some cases. We also have a volunteer program called Friendship at Home that pairs isolated seniors with friendly visitors. To access these services, call the Elder Helpline at (866) 413-5337 or call (941) 955-2122.
We also offer one-on-one help with accessing Federal assistance programs such as Medicaid and Food Stamps, free one-time legal consultation with an attorney, and tax preparation through a partnership with AARP. We are proud to participate in SHINE, a program where specially trained volunteers provide Medicare counseling by appointment (through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida).
Senior Friendship Centers of Sarasota sits on a shady, park-like setting in downtown Sarasota. While the campus is busy during the weekday, it is available for event rentals on the weekend and in the evening, provided set-up is minimal. It is a beautiful location for your party, celebration of life, bar or bat mitzvah, corporate event, nonprofit event, fundraiser, reception or wedding. For more information, call (941) 556-3265.
View Our Booklet
Rental Request Form
Our success is built on a network of volunteers who share our belief in the value of “people helping people.” Volunteers are greeters, teachers, dance instructors, technology experts, musicians, office assistants and more. Our volunteers receive as much as they give.
Find Out More About Volunteering
