OXBOW — If you ever were looking for new friends and something fun to do in Oxbow, look no further.
The Friendship Club of Oxbow Inc. welcomes people of all ages to join them for weekly activities and events at their beautiful facility at 513 Peters Avenue.
The club hosts weekly activities and is also available for rent for private events. Every week, members gather for yoga classes and exercises, play cards, enjoy games of pool and just have a coffee and spend time together. They also host wellness clinics for the community, where a registered nurse comes in to do pedicures for seniors.
On July 22, the Friendship Club of Oxbow hosted a dance and potluck with many people turning out for a joyful outing.
Marty James, Friendship Club of Oxbow secretary and treasurer, noted that after the pandemic restrictions, their nice facility, which they recently upgraded with a new ramp, deck and automated doors, has been seeing less traffic. The current members are trying to attract more people to be able to breathe life into the club again and host more activities on a regular basis.
"It hasn't been that busy lately, that's why we're trying to get more members so we can get more people coming out to do things," James said. "We are hoping to get more members that will start help planning activities. Right now, I think we only have four or five people that plan activities. But we need more active members that are willing to do that. For example, last winter every month we had a potluck supper that was open to anybody, not just members."
James noted that they applied for and received a few grants, which helped with building maintenance, and they are very grateful for the support. In the past couple of years, they redid the floor, updated the bathrooms and added a baby changing station. The ramp renos became possible thanks to a grant from the New Horizons for Seniors, which is a federal grants and contributions program.
The Community Initiatives Fund pays for yoga, dances and other activities. Other supporters include the Town of Oxbow and Affinity Credit Union.
They also had a change in executives last spring, and Mark Barnes became the new president.
People are welcome to come check out the club, enjoy their events and join the club if they want. Dances have been by donation lately, James said, and participants pay $2 a day for activities.
The club currently has just over 20 members. But they hope to see more interest, as it's a great organization to be a part of and membership also comes with benefits.
"Any adult is welcome to join," James said. "Our building is also available for rent for the community. And if you're a member and you want to rent it for your family activity, like showers, anniversaries or something like that, then you get it at half price on the rental charges."
When needed, club members help with serving during the events and cleaning after. They are also serving supper at the Oxbow's Farmers Market on Thursday, which takes place right outside their doors. The club will also have some activities for kids during the day.
The Friendship Club of Oxbow has a long history. Their current building was put up in 1984, James said, but the club existed even before that. Until recently, it was for those 55-plus, but two years ago members changed the approach to open it up to everyone, and a few younger people took the opportunity.
For more on their monthly schedule and current activities see the Friendship Club of Oxbow Facebook page.
