Submitted photo Members of Shepherdstown’s SAIL group head out for a day or pleasure at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C. offers many services and programs that are not usually available in everyday towns. Shepherdstown Area Independent Living, SAIL for short, has decided to provide area residents with the chance to take part in some of the programs in the Surrounding area. On March 16, the SAIL program took 36 members, volunteers and friends to the Kennedy Center to attend the National Symphony Orchestra.

The concert that was attended was “The music of the Strauss Family”; tickets had been donated by Leo Drieyhuys, former mastero of the Millbrook Symphony, and by his son-in-law, the first bassist at the National Symphony Orchestra.

“(We) are giving the older generation the opportunity to meet up and get out of the house” stated Jack Young, member of SAIL and coordinator of the trip.

The trip to the Kennedy Center is one of many outing that have been planned for the members of SAIL. Also in the works are: trips to Hagerstown, Md to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and City Park, to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md, and to the Smithsonian Space Museum in Chantilly, Va. These are some of trips that are in the planning stages, but SAIL always appreciates input from their members.

“(We) are trying to socialize and meet new people in the community,” Young commented.

“It’s also about learning about people in the community, and learning about people’s background from them. Not during their eulogy,” Judy Moore, SAIL board member, elaborated.

Not only are the events a benefit of joining the Shepherdstown Area Independent Living group, but so is the interaction between community members that might have never met. The SAIL program allows for the seniors of the community to retain their freedom, but to also ask for the help they need if they should need it.

SAIL allows for seniors to retain their independence, but allows for the social interaction that all people need. By doing events that offer a change of scenery and a cultural experience that would sometimes be unlikely for some, SAIL is able to keep the older generation a part of the community that they might not have been part in.

To learn more about Shepherdstown Area Independent Living and the services and programs that they extend to the community, visit the website at www.shepherdstownSAIL.com or call 304-870-SAIL.