By Jeff Whitten, special for the Herald
GUYTON – Ask Lucy Powell why she organized “Seniors in the Know” more than a decade ago and you get this as part of the answer:
“Because people need to know,” she said.
Some 75 of them got a chance to know plenty March 4, as speakers ranging from Effingham County Probate Court Judge David Zittrauer to Salzburger Museum Curator Patsy Zeigler gave talks and answered questions on an array of topics at the Guyton Gym.
Representatives from health care, insurance, public safety, the American Red Cross, Effingham Library and more were on hand at the event, which also included lunch catered by Southern Kafe.
While the event, held annually on the first Tuesday of March, is geared toward seniors, everyone is invited, Powell said, adding “Seniors in the Know” wouldn’t be possible without help from others.
“A lot of us, and I say, us as seniors, don’t really know what’s going on,” Powell said. “We may go to church and go home, but we don’t get everything we need to know. We don’t know what we can get from Probate Court, what we can’t get from Probate Court, we don’t know how to destress, we don’t know there’s a free yoga class, we don’t know there are other exercise we can do in our homes. We don’t know a lot of things we need to know.”
Powell said she relies in part on word of mouth to help keep residents informed, as those who attended in previous years usually return with friends in tow. The United Way’s 211 line is also a good way to keep abreast of available services, she said.
But back to the original question. Powell, who is retired but by no means finished, has long been involved in a number of community activities, including the Guyton Historic Preservation Commission.
“We go to church to learn how to live, but we can be so heaven bound we’re no earthly good,” she said. We need to be earthly good as well as heaven bound. I think in order to get into heaven you have to be earthly good as well.”
