T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Marshalltown Senior Citizens Center Director April Long, left, is retiring from her position on May 30, and Nicki Reynolds, right, who is currently in training, will subsequently take over the role.

In January of 2019, April Long came on as the new director of the Marshalltown Senior Citizens Center after unexpectedly changing careers when she lost her previous job designing kitchens and baths, which had been her line of work for almost 25 years. Due to the tornado severely damaging the center’s previous home on State Street, it was also a time of great upheaval in the facility’s history, and it would only get worse with the global COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 derecho still looming.

Nonetheless, as Long prepares to wrap up her 6 ½ year tenure on May 30 and pass the reins to her successor, Nicki Reynolds, her memories are nothing but fond.

“It’s absolutely the best job I’ve ever had. It is so rewarding,” Long said.

After the tornado, the Senior Citizens Center temporarily relocated to Nicholas Center across the street from Burger King and the Marshalltown Mall, and in the spring of 2019, Long was contacted by someone at the Fisher Community Center (now known as the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center) about taking over a space the Central Iowa Art Association (CIAA) had previously utilized. At the time, she was convinced it would become the center’s forever home, but of course, circumstances beyond Long’s control threw a wrench in those plans.

“Then the pandemic hit and closed us down, and then while we were closed during the pandemic, the derecho hit, and we were forced to move all of our possessions into storage pods. And then we had to move our storage pods away from that facility because they cancelled our lease,” she said. “We thought we were gonna be able to go back in there after they did their repairs, but ultimately, (the Fisher Community Center board) just cancelled our lease and said ‘We have other plans.'”

As she once again sought out a new long-term home for the center, Long liked the idea of being downtown due to its proximity to several senior living apartment complexes, and it led her to 207 E. Church St. in a building shared with several other occupants across the street from the Maid-Rite. It had most recently housed a beauty salon.

“When I walked in and saw the windows and brightness of it, I knew this was going to be the place,” she said. “It’s a good location. It’s highly visible. There are no stairs. There’s a good parking lot… We remodeled to make it suit our needs. We added a second bathroom and reopened in the fall of 2021.”

In reflecting on her tenure, Long, a Marshalltown native and MHS graduate, described it as a time of “upheaval and rebuilding.”

“The year that the pandemic hit, I had the entire schedule for all of our activities completely planned and in the books, and everybody was booked. And then in March, the world laughed at me,” she said. “(But) anyway, I think I’ve helped build a solid foundation now from which our new director Nicki can launch and take the center into the future and make it even more successful than it has been. And it has been.”

In a somewhat similar vein, Reynolds recently found herself looking for a new job after over two decades at the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA, and she knew that she loved engaging with the senior citizens who were morning regulars at the Y.

“I just kind of felt a desire to get back into that. I missed that. I was off for about three weeks, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I missed what I was doing. And that was my favorite part,” she said. “I love to plan events. I like to grow programs, and as April said, she kind of put the foundation (in place), and I felt I did that in my previous job and built platforms. So that is something I’m looking forward to doing here. I’m a people person.”

The center, which is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, is also known for hosting special evening and weekend events like its various dances and trivia fundraisers throughout the year. Reynolds is already brainstorming ways to expand those offerings.

“My wheels are turning, but yes, I would love to bring in more things. I would love to get out in the community, market more, advertise, share things to draw people in and then engage with them to see what it is that they’re looking for (and) what interests they have.”

Another goal, Long added, is to bring in younger senior citizens as Reynolds noted with a laugh that she’s only eight years away from turning 55 herself. Many of the activities, however, are open to individuals of all ages.

“Our events — bingo, trivia, dances and anything more that we bring to the center — anybody can come,” Reynolds said.

They’ve also hosted live music performances during the day and, just Wednesday, brought in a speaker on mental health. For many local seniors, some of whom may be widowed or simply living alone, it’s a place to forge friendships and build connections that otherwise may not exist.

“This is a second home for many people. People they interact with daily are their family because their spouses are gone or maybe even in a nursing home. The kids have grown and moved away, so this is their home,” Long said. “We want to encourage people to come and visit the center, see what we’re all about. It’s a place that’s really full of life.”

The director is the only paid employee at the Senior Citizens Center, and it runs entirely on private contributions with no city, county, state or federal funding and a volunteer board of directors along with volunteers who help with the special events. Reynolds began her training on Monday, and Long’s last day is set for May 30 with a retirement party planned.

“On June 2, it’ll be the Nicki show,” Long said.

The Senior Citizens Center can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Marshalltown-Senior-Citizens-Center-100064713219313/. Donations can either be mailed to 207 E. Church St., Marshalltown, IA 50158 or dropped off at the center during regular business hours.