Rindge Hosts Weekly Coffee Talk for Community Members

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

by Whitney Pettibone
edited By Adam Stahl

When driving by the Wellington Recreational Park in Rindge on a Wednesday morning around nine, you will see the parking lot freckled with cars.  Every week a group of senior citizens gets together for a “Recreational Coffee Talk” hour.

As the guests start to shuffle in, there is a place at the long table for everyone.  The men sit on one side and the women on the other.  The men tell dirty jokes, and the women talk about the men.  As they wait for coffee, one man shows his photography of birds he found in the Everglades.  Meanwhile, Rose Wart, the “leader” of this group, goes around making sure everyone knows when they have to bring food.

Since 1987, Recreational Coffee Talk has been happening every Wednesday morning.  There used to be 35 to 40 members.  “Most of us have passed away, but as we all get older, our children want us to move closer to them so they can take care of us.  We lost most of our members that way,” Wart said.

Wart, though, says she is here to stay.  “I have moved so many times, I am staying here [in Rindge],” she said.

The coffee hour has originally evolved from the Congregational Church in town.  Now, these people who come to coffee hour, just want to talk and share their stories.

New members are always welcome.  All you would have to do is get up and meet them at the Recreational Building in Wellington Park at nine in the morning.  “They call it a senior citizen coffee hour, but really anyone is welcome to come and meet new people,” Wart exclaimed.

When sitting in on the conversation, there are many stories; from jam making to hiking the Appalachian Trail at the age of seventy.

To become more involved in the Rindge community, Recreational Coffee Talk is the place to start.  Stop by Wellington Recreation Building in Wellington Park Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am.