LAKEVILLE — There were no shortage of chocolate-stained chins and sticky fingers at the Lakeville Senior Center on Friday, Aug. 9

The Friends of the Lakeville Council on Aging, an organization that fundraises for the senior center, took a moment to thank its donors with ice cream sundaes of epic proportions on Friday afternoon.  

As volunteers plopped heaping scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream into bowls, Friends of the Lakeville Council on Aging President Linda Ewell listed off all that the organization has purchased for the senior center. 

A new screened-in porch, flowers for the beautification project, a refrigerator, a portable fireplace and a bench for passersby to sit and enjoy some fresh air were just a few of the items on the list.

The group has even paid for fuel assistance when senior residents have had car trouble, said Council on Aging Director Lori Fahey. 

“It brings me a lot of joy. It’s as simple as that,” said Ewell when asked why she got involved with the organization.

“It’s about giving back and doing something for the community that makes me feel good.”

Those in attendance understood the value of the work the organization does and the impact the senior center has on members of the community. 

As they indulged in their ice cream sundaes, attendees emphasized the sense of community the Council on Aging creates. 

“When you’re active, you’re getting out and you’re social in your older age, you’re going to find you live a lot longer,” said Ken MacMillan, who comes to the senior center often with his wife. 

Vi Fairweather shared how her neighbor’s blood pressure dropped after she started coming to the Council on Aging. Fairweather said she started bringing her neighbor, who recently lost her husband, with her to the senior center on Fridays. 

This morning her blood pressure was much lower from last time, she said. “She felt really, really good [from] coming here.”

Fahey said the work Friends of the COA is “hugely important.” 

“They help us get funding for things that otherwise we don’t have the funds for.”

The center’s administrative assistant Cheryl Walters, also highlighted the value of the group. 

“We couldn’t do it without [the FLCOA], they contribute so much to us. It’s amazing what they do and they do it out of the goodness of their heart.”