The Barbershop at Firehouse Active Adult Center: A home for leisure enthusiasts
It’s a Wednesday morning in late July at the Firehouse Active Adult Center in West Philadelphia. The first floor of the center, located at 5331 Haverford Ave., is full of activity and conversation. Upbeat music fills the fitness room as members enjoy a fast-paced line dancing class.
Dozens of older adults sit at round tables in the main room. Some listen to a presentation on the stage. Others chat with friends. Everyone is looking forward to the day’s hot lunch.
Upstairs, leisurely recreation is taking place. A red, white and blue barber pole welcomes visitors to “The Barbershop Game Room at Firehouse: A Place to Gather and Have Fun.”
The game room features two full-size pool tables, a large card table, dart board, big-screen TV and sound system. Philadelphia sports items and pool-themed artwork decorate the walls. The adjoining room includes a kitchenette, a ping pong table, a chess board and other games.
The space feels warm and welcoming. A group of pinochle players has been enjoying friendly competition since 8 a.m. Other popular games include Pokeno, Rummikub and Backgammon.
Across the room, a small group of men play pool together. As the morning goes on, more players arrive and join the game.
According to Center Director Jacqueline King, the game room was not always this busy.
“A few members would come to play, but they wouldn’t stay long,” King says. “We have an older gentleman who comes every day. He used to wait for someone to play pool with him. He would sit and watch TV until another player showed up.”
King knew she needed to find a way to attract more men to the center. After doing some research, she decided to create a space inspired by the atmosphere of a neighborhood barbershop, where people would enjoy both recreation and socialization. She moved a conference room to another area of the building, allowing the game room to expand.
“It is now like a basement game room or man cave,” King says. “Members don’t even leave the room for lunch. People are in the Barbershop Game Room from the time we open until we close.”
The men who gather there look out for one another. The room has become a community within the center and a home away from home for many members. Many of them live nearby.
Leroy Rich remembers when the building was an active firehouse. “I’ve been coming to this building since I was about 6 years old,” he says. “Kids in the neighborhood who were interested in firefighting were always welcome here. We were even invited to cookouts.”
Years later, when Haddington Multi-Services for Older Adults closed, many of its members continued to attend Firehouse Active Adult Center, which operates out of the same building.
“The spirit of community and connection has come full circle at Firehouse,” Rich says. “For me, these gentlemen that you see now and others that are here, we have developed a great camaraderie.”
The center’s staff have banded together to make this a home for older adults in the community. “You can see it, and you can feel it. Everybody here can bear witness to it,” says Rich, who was introduced to the Firehouse by a friend. “As men, we’re trying to reach out to other men in the neighborhood who may not be familiar with what the center has to offer. For many years, 90% of the people that came here were women. We’re trying to do some outreach ourselves, by word of mouth.”
Several of the men who regularly visit the center have joined its advisory council, including Rich, who serves as treasurer. “We ask members what they like and what keeps them coming back,” King says. “So far, it’s working, but we’re always looking for new ways to improve.”
PCA’s Firehouse Active Adult Center at 5331 Haverford Ave. is open weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Stop in any time! You can also call 215-472-6188 for program information.
