You don’t have to look hard to find people who truly love their jobs at the Oak Harbor Senior Center.
Roxann Dunn-Terry is one of those people.
As the new Interim Senior Services Manager, Dunn-Terry’s job is to oversee the Oak Harbor Senior Center as well as the Daybreak center located next door to the Senior Center.
“I love my job because it involves working with people and I look forward to leading the troops here at the center,†Dunn-Terry said.
Dunn-Terry’s work with seniors began back in 1983 when she was living in Illinois and working at a nursing home. She was referred to the job by a friend, which turned into a stepping stone for her career with the elderly.
When asked at the time of hiring how she would treat the elderly clients, she said that she would treat them as if they were her own grandparents.
It is that sort of kindness, combined with her passion for working with people, that is the reason Dunn-Terry is in her position now.
She went on to work in various other nursing homes before returning to Oak Harbor in 1985.
She took a job as the first activity director for Harbor Tower. Dunn-Terry has been working for the Oak Harbor Senior Center for about as long as it has been open. This September the center will be celebrating its 19th anniversary.
Dunn-Terry is an Oak Harbor native, graduating from Oak Harbor High School in 1971. She has been married for 31 years and has two children ages 30 and 27 years.
“One of the things that I really love about the people and my job is that I get to hear their life stories, there is so much interesting life to be heard about†said Dunn-Terry.
As the 2005 Conference Chair for the Washington State Association of Senior Centers, in May Dunn-Terry had the opportunity to escort for 70 senior men and women from all over Washington on a trip to the Canandian Maritimes in Nova Scotia.
Along on the journey were about 30 seniors from Whidbey Island. They visited Prince Edward Island and even participated in an Anne of Green Gables day while they were there.
According to Dunn-Terry, the classes and activities offered at the Senior Center are well attended and this is attributed to what she calls “healthy aging,†a lifestyle that encourages people to stay active and vital.
“Coming to the Senior Center is a life-long learning experience for many people. They continue to learn new things every day, whether through classes or through new games or other activities that we provide, we have people in their 80’s and 90’s taking classes on history because they are life-long learners,†Dunn-Terry said.
The Senior Center welcomes anyone in the community that is 50 years of age or older, as well as visitors who may be staying in Oak Harbor for the summer.
“It’s like a family here, we all get along really well and the volunteers are the core of this center, they put their hearts into their work and all that they do,†Dunn-Terry said.
