ROCHESTER — Blowing bubbles, visiting farm animals and Zumba dancing were only a few of the activities Rochester community members partook in during the first Rochester Council on Aging block party on Thursday, June 22. 

The block party gives Rochester residents, Council on Aging members and their families a chance to learn more about community resources, according to Rochester Council on Aging director Eric Poulin. 

The block party was organized by the Friends of the Rochester Council on Aging and the Rochester TRIAD group,a nationwide public safety organization aimed to reduce criminal victimization of seniors, he said.

The group’s goal “ is to get everybody working together to come up with programs and ideas to protect seniors and keep them safe,” said Poulin.

Public safety organizations like the Plymouth County Sheriff and District Attorney’s offices and Rochester’s fire and police departments held booths at the event to speak with attendees about the services they offer.

According to Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald, the Plymouth County Sheriff's office offers safety  resources such as assurance calls and code red alerts, a text message alert system for Plymouth and Bristol counties.

“It’s always nice to see people and tell them about what we offer,” said McDonald. “A lot of people are very surprised [by our] great programing outside of the jail.” 

Poulin said that the block party is one of the many activities hosted by the Rochester Council on Aging that helps local seniors prevent isolation with socialization. 

“We wanted to do an event for the whole community,” said Poulin. “Just so [the community] can see what we are all about and what we offer here.”

The Rochester Council on Aging offers assistance with transportation, exercise classes and opportunities for socialization.

“I think people think of senior centers as just being bingo but it is so much more than that,” he said.