The St. Johns County Council on Aging hosted a centenarian luncheon at THE PLAYERS Community Senior Center May 19 for the first time in two years.
The room was full of wisdom and interesting stories, as the COA honored residents 100 years of age, as well as a large contingent of attendees 90 years of age or older.
“The idea behind it is that we want to honor and celebrate the oldest residents in our community,” COA Executive Director Becky Yanni said. “We honor them, because they are the generation that really fought, defended and built this great nation that we get to enjoy today. We owe them gratitude and respect.”
A total of 24 residents were honored during the event, which made its return after a two-year hiatus due to concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six of those were in the centenarian club, with the oldest being Charlotte Pichotta at 102 years old.
“These centenarians are so inspiring, and they have such good spirits,” Yanni said. “They’re an example that gives us hope for our own lives. It’s like each individual is a walking library.”
Pichotta and all the other centenarians were asked “What is your secret to a long life?”
According to Pichotta, remembering to be good and kind to each other has made a huge difference in her life.
Howard Renforth credited his 30 years of military service for giving him the mindset needed to live so long.
“I said, ‘If I made it through World War II, I’d make it through anything,’” Renforth said.
However, staying active throughout the years was Josephine Trinca’s secret offered to the crowd for a long and healthy life.
There was a definite feeling of excitement by everyone who attended and an overall joy and thankfulness to have the opportunity to be together and share in each other’s company once again.
“Sadly, we were not able to do it for a couple of years due to the vulnerability of this current population,” Yanni said. “We are delighted to bring it back.”
Yanni is anxious for the lunches to once again become an annual event that people in the community can look forward to and mark on their calendar each year.
“At the Council on Aging, our mission is to help people age well so that they can live their best possible lives for as long as possible,” Yanni said. “We provide our services to support that.”
The pandemic had an impact on people of all ages, and that includes the community’s older population, which Yanni saw firsthand.
“It was very challenging, because we spend a lot of time talking to people about avoiding social isolation, because loneliness and depression can really harm a senior’s health and start a real downward spiral,” Yanni said.
According to Yanni, the COA came up with creative ways to keep local seniors feeling connected while isolating, but it is hard to beat physically going somewhere and interacting with others in-person.
“There’s nothing better than that,” Yanni said.
Each honored centenarian was presented with a rose, certificate and a proclamation from the office of Senator Marco Rubio.
State representative Cyndi Stevenson was in attendance, as well as several county officials, including Sheriff Robert Hardwick.
