The Golden Link Senior Center has hired Jen Erdmann as its new manager after former manager Corrina Doyea stepped down in December and has now been managing the Center for one month.
Erdmann found the job after looking at the KROX Job Shop and saw that the job was a perfect fit for her, which her husband agreed to due to her experience working and volunteering with the senior population at the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program at the University of Minnesota Crookston. “I just started working at this position a month ago, but I worked for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program at the University for several years,” Jen Erdmann explained. “With the senior centers, I worked with the volunteers and coordinating events, so I was very familiar with the Senior Center, what it does within the community, and who has managed in the past, so I felt very comfortable with reaching out, stopping in, and knowing what the job would entail.” Erdmann already had connections within the Senior Center before applying for the position as the Senior Center is a partnering station that the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and was one of the people that implemented the SAIL Exercise Class at the Golden Link and is one of the trainers that runs the class.
Since becoming the manager, Erdmann has been working to grow the membership of the Senior Center, searching to fill open positions, and overseeing the Golden Link’s board to ensure the Center is serving the seniors while covering many other roles. “It’s a lot, but I know I can do it. I’m thinking positively that I will fulfill that and beyond. I’m working with and overseeing the eight of us that are staffed here; the cook, the line cook, our janitorial staff, and our treasurer. I’m also answering all the phone calls, emails, and those who might walk in wondering about the Golden Link or giving them a tour of the Center, managing our groups, and organizing that they all call in and want to reserve a room for the evening. There are many roles, but first and foremost is working with the members that we have here in this wonderful community.” Erdmann had worked with former manager Corrina Doyea for over a week to help teach her about the job, mainly with the food and year-end inventory and the ins and outs of the day.
Along with her daily tasks, Erdmann is working to bring back some activities the Center used to do before the pandemic and start some new ones over the next few months. “We’re hoping to have an educational art series coming up here in February, March, or April, and starting with our Thursday Night Meals in March again. Those were a hit as well with entertainment. Of course, we plan to be a part of Ox Cart Days again. We’re planning on something in February for a Valentine’s Day cookie sale, so we’re planning that right now,” Erdmann explained. “But we’re looking to continue having the speakers, educational-wise, artist-wise, and series-wise, to continue with that each month to have speakers come in on a monthly basis. I know there was a Movie Day or Bingo that stopped with COVID, and I’ve had a few members bring that up to me, and we can certainly do that. I’m open to whatever to bring in our members and new members and guests to the Golden Link.”
Erdmann and the Golden Link would like to invite the public that they’re always welcome to the Center, and they do not have to be 55 years or older to be allowed to come in for events, tours, or a meal. The Golden Link is open Monday thru Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with many events after 3:00 p.m. If you would like to schedule an event or reserve a room for an activity at the Golden Link, you can call Erdmann at 218-281-3072.
