Margaret Bartos has moved all around the country in her lifetime, but has found a home at the Independence Township Senior Center.
“I really enjoy the job here and I love the area. I was a history major so I love the downtown,” the senior center coordinator said. “I am hoping to move into the area.”
The Sterling Heights resident has been at the senior center for four years.
“I started in January and my first day we had a snow storm and had to cancel all our programs,” Bartos said.
However, that did not stop her from moving the senior center forward. Responsibilities of the senior center coordinator include overseeing all programs, writing the monthly newsletter, promoting events, working on the budget and managing a staff of 20.
“She does a terrific job here,” transportation programmer Sharon Turner said. “She is always looking for new programs and to try out new things here at the center.”
Bartos always knew she wanted to work with seniors. She said people laughed at her when she was in college and proclaimed she wanted to help young people and old people be together for a living.
“I think it was because I did not have grandparents close by when I was growing up. As I became an adult I realized how important grandparents are and what a missing element that was in my life,” Bartos said.
The Virginia native attended William and Mary College and majored in history. After moving around the country while raising a family, due to her husband being in the automotive industry, Bartos was brought to Michigan and went back to school for a business degree. This led to her time spent in the accounting field.
“I realized that accounting was something I did not care much about. I always knew I would comeback to seniors but I thought I would work 20 years and get a pension before I did it,” Bartos said.
Bartos once again went back to school and studied Gerontology. After getting certified she spent time in numerous jobs concerning the elderly before finally settling at the Independence Township Senior Center.
“I came to move the senior center along with the times. I went to school with an open mind as to what was coming and where we were going as a profession,” Bartos said.
The senior business is undergoing an evolution as the baby boomers are aging. According to Bartos, the baby boomers have had twice the impact that was imagined.
She believes within 10 years there will be a 30-35 hour work week for individuals over the age of 50.
“This is the largest percentage of a population over 75 years of age that we ever dreamed of and we need programs to service these individuals. The impact is great. We service three generations of older adults with people in the 50’s, 70’s and 90’s,” Bartos said.
Bartos and the Independence senior center are expanding their programs to accommodate the younger seniors. These include more cultural activities and more athletic events.
However, Bartos still needs to keep in mind the older seniors who do not want to be active. The senior program has to have something for everyone.
“The older generation, the ones who grew up in the Depression and went through World War II, built this country after the war. As Tom Brokaw said, they are the greatest generation. We would not have the society we have without their self-sacrifice. We owe them our support,” Bartos said.
Bartos and her staff are trying to bring these programs to the community in an outdated house at Clintonville Park. A group of seniors attempted to rally support for a Community Center with senior facilities but the residents voted it down last November.
Bartos is also watching the state and township budgets very carefully to see if ramifications of both budgets would affect the senior center.
“We fix-up this building with the limited funds that we have,” Bartos said. “I think we have created a quaint, friendly place. We value the generosity of the other organizations in this community who have given us room to hold programs like the First Congregational Church and St. Daniel’s Church. We are always looking at options to get more things going at one time.”
Bartos believes at some point they would like to attempt again to get a new senior center for the area.
“I have great respect for the township board and the difficult job they have running this community. It is an awesome responsibility,” Bartos said.