Last month, the Silver Linings Cafe at the Homer Senior Center hosted a fashion show to strengthen connections between the senior community and the rest of the town.
Debra or “Deb” Rowzee is the adult day services manager and coordinator for the show. She said this year's fashion show carried the theme “Treasured,” chosen to reflect seniors' valuable role in the Homer community.
“I wanted the staff to know that they're treasured, the people that live here and come here to know that they're treasured. And just elders in general, because sometimes they feel so overlooked,” Rowzee said.
During the show, a mix of residents, senior center staff, and even a couple of pet therapy dogs walked the runway, accompanied by live piano music.
The event garnered a healthy amount of community support, with volunteers promoting the show and serving food to attendees. Rowzee said connecting residents and users of the center with the rest of the Homer community is a big reason they put on events like this.
“A lot of people have been saying, hey, we want to help out there, but we don't know how. So I was able to take in the people from the community and use them in various ways,” Rowzee said.
The last fashion show in February of 2020 was called “Welcome to the Jungle.” The event had not taken place since then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's fashion show, supported by volunteers and well-attended by the community, marked a successful return after the long break. Rowzee said she plans to continue organizing similar events to further connect the senior population with the wider Homer community, including a float in the upcoming Fourth of July parade.
