Seniors have access to countless values around town. On Wednesdays, Kroger and Publix supermarkets offer 5 percent discounts to ages 62 and over.  Tell the cashier that you are a senior citizen. They seem to believe it’s a compliment to not ask. If you return home and realize that you forgot to get your senior discount, simply take your receipt back to the store’s customer service desk and they will give you the discount. Curves Health Clubs and Fitness Centers have a program for seniors with Medicare and supplemental insurance, in which membership and workouts may be free. Curves is located …

Senior citizens are considered gold as volunteers. By retirement age, many seniors say they have a need to feel productive. “I always wanted to give something back to the community” said, Marilyn Dalrymple of Sandy Springs, a volunteer, board member and founding mother of the Dunwoody Nature Center. The Nature Center has about 1,000 volunteers, which amounts to about 6,000 hours of service per year, said executive director Claire Hayes. That’s equivalent to three full-time employees. “I kiss their feet,” Hayes said. Volunteer work keeps David McCracken busy.  “If you’re scratching your head …

Marguerite Pons knows the pain of losing a spouse.  She felt so lost when her husband died in 2003, that she turned to a friend to guide her through the funeral arrangements.  Nine months later, at the end of a conversation with her pastor at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Pons suddenly said, “I am a capable woman and was stymied at what I had to do when I lost my husband.” She told him that there should be some type of support to help spouses through their immediate loss and the grieving process. That same day, Pons and Mickie Boyle, director of Pastoral Care, brainstormed on the support group …

Retirement means days filled with outings, classes and social gatherings for seniors in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. ThirdAgers, a ministry group at Sandy Springs Christian Church, celebrates the “Third Age,” or as Jane Fonda has said, “The Third Act” of life.  The group has been to restaurants, theaters, museums and Callaway and Lake Lanier Gardens.  “People of all beliefs are welcome,” said Shelton Blackburn, who leads the group. “If you’re really interested in something we’re doing and you can keep up, contact the church.” Separately, Sandy Springs Christian along with Dunwoody Baptist …

Jane Fonda, at age 73, makes fitness look easy.  After reading about her two new fitness videos, “Jane Fonda Prime Time: Fit and Strong” and “Jane Fonda Prime Time: Walk Out,” I wondered, how much do folks really exercise after age 50? I talked to several folks from ages 50 through 80 who say fitness is a major part of their lives. Tom McKinney, 69, runs eight miles a day and says he has run the Peachtree Road Race for 19 consecutive years.  "I love having the time to work out now that I am retired," said McKinney, president of the Dunwoody Chapter of National Active and Retired Federal …

 Somehow the New Year gives us permission to start fresh on those many things we've been meaning to do. It's also a time of reflection and gratitude among the seniors that I talked to in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. George W. Camp is a resident at Huntcliff Summit in Sandy Springs. His wife of 68 years died in 2010.  At 90-years-old, he said, "I am blessed beyond all means."   "Blessed Beyond All Means" happens to be part of the title of Camp's memoir. Tom Brokaw calls the retired postmaster a member of "The Greatest Generation." Residents at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living in Dunwoody have …

Seniors and staff at the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Complex shared their "Santa Wish List" with Patch.  Jane Wilhelm, a retired teacher, living in Sandy Springs simply wants to continue her relationships with family and friends. "I just want more of the same," she said. "I feel very blessed to have them in my life." During lunch at the center, recently, Charles Johnson said he wishes for "a good, healthy, down-to-earth girlfriend."  Paul Spruill of Sandy Springs wants a soda water carbonation machine, which is new on the market.  "You can take plain water [or different flavorings] …

 The holiday season can be more sad than joyful for some. It can be an especially tough time of year for senior citizens alone at home or in nursing and assisted living facilities. "I sense that many are lonely when their loved ones are far away at this time of year," said Minnie Campbell, residence services coordinator at Allen Road Midrise, a residence for seniors and the disabled in Sandy Springs. She recently planned a holiday party for the residents.  Of the 114 residents in the building, only 12 are couples. Christmastime is a natural time for reflection, which for some can bring on …