Paula Lombardi Recognized During Senior Expo

Below is the speech Senior Center Director Danielle Hopkins gave, when she presented Paula Lombardi with the Stella Jeon award.

"For those that did not know Stella Jeon, she was an amazing woman and a force to be reckoned with. She was part of the original council on aging, and was an active member and an instrumental proponent for the senior center and this community. If you have noticed, there is a street in our parking lot named after her as well as our assistive technology center upstairs. She was a starting founder in implementing our low vision programs, having low vision herself. And, she used to be the host of our senior connection show- her tagline being "it's not the years in your life. It's the life in your years".

This year our Stella Jeon Silver Spirit Award is proudly presented to Paula Lombardi. Paula, just like Stella, is a huge asset to our community and brings so much to this senior center. She began coming to the Senior Center in 2011, when she retired after working twenty-six years at the Franklin DPW. She has been volunteering for over twelve years here, has been the chair and a member of FOFE for the past ten years, was a medaling athlete in the Senior Olympics, and you can usually see her at the register in the café taking your orders! She enjoys being a member of TOPS, playing Asian mahjong, amongst a variety of other things. Any new programs, Paula is usually the first one in line to try it and encourage other too. She, just like Stella, is that friendly face you always see and makes you always feel welcome and important. Thank you Paula for making a difference not only here at the senior center but for our community. Congratulations on this well deserved award!"