Shakira Thomas, program coordinator for senior services at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, told the Recreation Advisory Board on Sept. 15 that the Young at Heart senior program sold out in three days and that the associated congregate meal program has about 270 people signed up and typically serves 80 to 100 people each day.

The signup pace and turnout have created logistical challenges for the cultural center, Thomas said. "We literally had seniors waiting outside at 7AM to join the club," she said, and the ballroom’s 300-person capacity forced staff to move coffee and sponsor tables into a separate banquet room this season.

Thomas described the program’s weekly offerings and partnerships: the center runs roughly 15–20 senior classes a week, new programs this year include bingo-size, Matter of Balance and line dancing, and regular activities range from SilverSneakers and tai chi to a writers group, Alzheimer's support and a tech class. She said staff coordinate with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging and that those agencies rank Royal Palm Beach highly; "they pretty much said that we're number 1," Thomas said.

Thomas said Young at Heart shifted from buffet to plated meals this year to reduce waiting times. She also described donations her team collects daily from local businesses — naming BJ's, Panera and Publix — and said donations include baked goods, laundry detergent and crates of eggs that are distributed to seniors and sometimes to the broader community.

Board members asked about whether the congregate meal program faces funding cuts. Thomas said participants often ask her whether the program will be defunded because the lunches are provided by the Department of Elder Affairs and that there is no confirmed change yet: "Seniors ask me all the time, is the congregate meal program going to be defunded," she said.

The board and staff discussed modest layout and traffic changes for the Young at Heart events. Thomas said staff will observe how the new plated-meal and room-use arrangements function over the next few months before making further adjustments.

The Recreation Advisory Board plans to continue offering the congregate meal program and other senior activities while monitoring space, turnover and traffic flow for large events.