When Marilyn Simon underwent two major shoulder surgeries this year, she faced a problem familiar to many older Plymouth residents: She couldn’t drive.
For someone accustomed to being active, suddenly having to depend on others for transportation was significant. In March, she had rotator cuff surgery on her right shoulder. At the end of July, she underwent a full replacement of her left shoulder.
Simon, a resident of The Pinehills, volunteers at Plymouth’s Center for Active Living (CAL), and she was determined to continue.
“I volunteer at the senior center, and I really wanted to get back to volunteering,” she said.
The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) Dial-A-Ride service helped her keep that independence. The experience using the GATRA service gave her a different perspective on public transportation, particularly for older residents who still drive and may not realize how valuable the service can become when circumstances change.
“It made all the difference to me during my recovery and it’s something the people in town may not know is available – even on a temporary basis,” Simon said.
Now, thanks to an expansion of the CAL Express program, eligible older Plymouth residents can travel well beyond the senior center — to medical appointments, grocery stores, restaurants, cultural events and other destinations throughout town — free of charge.
The expansion was made possible by $75,000 in state funding which allows Plymouth residents age 60 and older who are members of CAL to use GATRA’s Dial-A-Ride service for free transportation throughout Plymouth. Previously, the CAL Express program provided free rides only between residents’ homes and the Center for Active Living.
The expanded service is designed to make it easier for older residents to remain independent, socially connected and engaged in their community.
“If they want to get their hair done, if they want to go to a cultural event, they want to go to the Spire Center, they want to go to the Phil, they want to go to the Plymouth Center for the Arts, they want to go to the beach, they want to go to our restaurants, and then obviously the basics..You need to get to a medical appointment, you want to get your groceries, anywhere in town,” said Cheryl Jones, director of the Center for Active Living.
For Jones, who is approaching her first anniversary as director, the expansion represents something larger than transportation.
“Loneliness is a health risk and people who stay socially engaged live longer and have a more vibrant living situation for a longer period of time,” she said.
She said the program can help older residents maintain the independence and social connections essential to their well-being.
CAL Express has its roots in a community effort to help older residents overcome transportation barriers. Jones said.
“The initiative began before the pandemic when local supporters like Will Shain, helped secure funding for Uber and Lyft rides for older residents,” she said.
The early effort eventually evolved into CAL Express, a partnership with GATRA.
Longtime supporters Rose and Rich Havens, along with Shain’s organization, Taking People Places, helped provide the financial foundation.
“Rose and Rich Havens have been a generous donor for many years, and then that was matched by the generosity of Will Shain and his organization Taking People Places,” Jones said. For years, the service focused on getting people to the Center for Active Living.
The latest expansion was made possible through a $75,000 legislative earmark secured by state Sen. Dylan Fernandes, with support from state Representatives Kathleen LaNatra and Michelle Badger. The funding includes $25,000 secured in fiscal 2025 and an additional $50,000 in fiscal 2026.
“Access to transportation is essential for our older neighbors to live full, healthy, and connected lives,” Fernandes said. “As the Commonwealth’s largest town, Plymouth’s size can create barriers to accessing health care, groceries, and other resources.”
With nearly one-third of Plymouth’s population age 60 or older, Fernandes said, expanding transportation options is particularly important.
“I’m proud to have secured $75,000 for the Plymouth Center for Active Living to establish Plymouth’s no-cost transportation network for seniors,” he said. The program’s future will continue to depend on financial support.
“Without these earmarks and without these donations, the free program would not continue,” Jones said. Transportation can make the difference between remaining active and becoming isolated.
Kevin Benoit knows the importance of maintaining those connections. A longtime resident of the Plymouth-Duxbury area who lost his wife after her battle with cancer, Benoit is an active participant at CAL, serving on both its strategic planning and marketing subcommittees. When interviewed for this story, he was aboard a GATRA bus on his way to a physical therapy appointment. “I think for a lot of us who no longer have the freedom of driving where we want when we want it’s a really nice resource,” he said. “With the new program, you can go virtually anywhere in Plymouth. There’s no longer any cost for us taking GATRA and go anywhere in Plymouth. You simply call and schedule a ride.”
For Benoit and others like him, getting around town is only part of the equation. Equally important is having people with whom to share experiences. “The research is pretty clear – that the most critical thing for people as we age is human connections,” he said. “And you have to look for time and opportunity to be together with other people.”
“It’s one of the nice things about the center – as you age you have to develop a new circle of friends,” Benoit said. “It’s more important now because it’s not your work that is the center – and it cannot always be at home – you have to look for opportunities to share with people, to share your ideas.”
For Jones, those kinds of connections are central to CAL’s mission. “Engaged and connected in a meaningful way,” she said. “Sometimes people come here and they’re just chatting while they’re knitting, playing cards or going to a performance.” But those seemingly simple activities can have a lasting impact.
“To me, that’s what vibrant aging is all about, it’s recognizing that as long as you stay connected, you’re going to keep growing yourself, and you just keep showing up, and that helps you to enjoy your life and get the most out of your life,” Jones said.
Jones, who has spent more than 40 years working in health and wellness, believes successful aging involves much more than physical health. That philosophy is reflected in the wide range of activities offered at the Center for Active Living. “All of our programs at CAL are very much designed to support all of those aspects of being human, so to nurture the whole person,” Jones said.
“On any given week, members might participate in exercise classes, art programs, musical performances, historical discussions, support groups, or conversations about navigating the next chapter of life. There is even a guitar group,” Jones said.
There is also a men’s discussion group, a Parkinson’s caregiver support group and facilitated conversations about the next chapter of life. Historical programs explore Plymouth’s past, such as the former Plymouth Cordage Co. in North Plymouth. The center also offers a café with an in-house chef where members can gather informally or enjoy a quick meal. For a listing of programs at CAL go here.
Jones estimates approximately 200 people visit CAL each day, or about 1,000 visits a week. “I always wonder, how do we get those other 20,000 to take advantage of CAL?” she said. “I’m 65, so I’m a senior too, and one of my own personal goals is to attract more people who are in their 60s to come to CAL,” she said, adding that volunteering can be a good introduction. With a staff of 15, including part-time employees, the center relies heavily on volunteers to help deliver its programs and services.
CAL is one of five divisions within the town’s Health and Human Services Department, along with the library, Veterans Services, Public Health and Recreation. Jones has worked to build relationships with town officials, health care providers, local businesses and other community organizations to better connect older residents with available resources.
The center provides more than recreation – it also provides support and even a few affordable medical services. It has two social outreach workers who help residents and their families navigate issues ranging from food and fuel assistance to health care, mental health services and other support.
But beyond the programs, services and events, Jones believes the center’s greatest contribution may be the relationships that develop there.
“We want our older adults in Plymouth to stay engaged, stay connected, make new friends,” she said. “That’s what we do here at CAL every day, is facilitate those social connections so that people have something to do when they’re not here at CAL.”
The goal, she added, is to help friendships extend beyond the center’s walls.
The expanded CAL Express transportation program is available to Plymouth residents age 60 and older who are members of the Center for Active Living. Membership at CAL is free.
For Jones, making sure people know the service exists is just as important as expanding it.
“We want people to feel empowered to utilize this public transportation program,” she said.
After all, a free ride may be what brings someone through CAL’s doors for the first time. What they discover once they arrive — a new friendship, a sense of belonging or a renewed connection to their community — may be what keeps them coming back. CAL is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about CAL go here or simply go to the center at 44 Nook Road. To join Friends of CAL, go here. For information about CAL Express go here or call (978) 795-4404.
Julia Marie Davis can be reached at julia@plymouthindependent.org.