The beloved Recreation Coordinator of the San Carlos Adult Community Center (ACC) retired after two decades, on Oct. 6.
Linda Scannell led the ACC, a recreational center for primarily older adults and senior citizens, for 21 rewarding years.
The building on the corner of Chestnut Street may be unbeknownst to many, but to the members inside, it’s a second home.
“I think that if people look at studies for adults in their 60s or 70s, socialization is very important,” said Patricia Brown, president of the non-profit board Friends of The San Carlos ACC. “The way I look at it, nobody should sit in their house and feel like they have nothing to give.”
Under the leadership of Scannell, the ACC has transformed into a hub of socialization with more senior citizen members than any other senior center in the Peninsula. Now, the center hosts a diverse community of participants and has a plethora of programs. However, it was not always this way.
“Before Linda was here, the ACC was a dark, quiet senior center. There was no vibrancy, and there weren’t so many programs,” said Caitlyn Matoso, supervisor of the ACC.
The need for reform of the center was apparent to Scannell the moment she stepped into the role. For 21 years, she would get up at 6 a.m. to do her administrative work so that she could spend the rest of her time interacting with the seniors and implementing programs. With the help of the Friends of The San Carlos ACC, the center has established fitness classes, special events featuring senior proms, card games, and, most importantly, meal programs.
Many seniors in San Carlos live alone or lack a social group they can rely on. The center provides them with a sense of community.
“I go to the ACC to participate in activities in addition to building a circle of friends,” Brown said. “I’ve met a lot of both good and nice people through the ACC.”
Brown’s experience is shared by many of the center’s members, which is why the establishment of the ACC’s programs has been so fundamental. The ACC’s priority is to keep an interactive and social environment to maintain the health of the seniors.
One of these programs includes a curbside lunch pickup, which provides healthy $5 meals for senior citizens. The program now operates four days a week due to its success in the community.
Before Scannell’s initiation as Recreation Coordinator, the center was dedicated solely to adults 65 years of age and over. Under her leadership, the ACC launched essential city-wide programs to reach people of all ages and backgrounds. Of these programs, the grocery program has been the most transformative.
The city of San Carlos recognized the food struggle of families across the city during the height of the pandemic. In response to this need, the grocery program expanded to servicing 92 certain low-income level families with free groceries every Tuesday.
Without volunteers, however, Scannell is certain the program would not exist. This is seen when volunteers gather to package groceries for families.
Together, volunteers visit food banks and even several different Trader Joe’s locations to fill up grocery bags with produce, proteins, and canned goods. Matoso firmly believes that the passion for service and the warm environment of the ACC is what keeps them coming.
“It takes volunteers, the staff, and all the members to make all the ACC’s programs successful, and if you have those three components, they all mesh together,” Scannell said.
Scannell is optimistic about passing the baton to Matt Okada, who previously worked at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California in San Francisco. She is also reassured by the experienced staff and waiting list of eager volunteers.
“The ACC is going to continue on for a long time because that’s our purpose here: to serve the community,” Scannell said.
