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Coffee klatch for seniors: A new meeting place in Zella-Mehlis!
Zella-Mehlis regularly organizes coffee klatches for seniors to counteract loneliness and promote digital skills.
Coffee klatch for seniors: A new meeting place in Zella-Mehlis!
The first coffee klatch for seniors in Zella-Mehlis took place on July 3, 2025 and offered participants a welcome opportunity to exchange ideas and chat about everyday topics. The event was organized by Senior Advisory Board, which has made a name for itself in its efforts to combat loneliness among senior citizens. Chairman Manfred Niedenthal said he was pleased with the response to the initiative.
The topics of the coffee klatch range from sports to contact points for seniors, and the interest is palpable. The senior citizens' advisory board, which represents the interests of older citizens to the city council and mayor, would like to remain active and relies on regular meetings. Further coffee klatch dates have already been set: On August 28th, September 25th, October 23rd and November 13th, 2025, the seniors will meet in the consultation room at Hauptstrasse 76 from 3 p.m. The seniors' advisory board will then meet from 4 p.m.
Digital offers for seniors
At a time when social interaction is difficult for many seniors, interest in digital technologies has grown. The Senior Citizens' Advisory Council has found that many older people would like to learn the possibilities of smartphones and computers. In order to give them an understanding of these skills, the adult education center in Zella-Mehlis is planning free courses to support the digital user experience.
The Federal program “DigitalPakt Age” offers an excellent basis because it promotes the creation of digital experiences for older people in Germany. So far, 50 new places have already been created, expanding the network to a total of 200 learning locations. These institutions will each receive 3,000 euros to offer courses that strengthen the digital know-how of older people.
- Smartphone-Kurse für Einsteiger
- Einführungen ins Online-Banking
- PC-Grundkurse
With over 15,000 seniors taking advantage of these learning opportunities since 2021, the positive effect of such initiatives is clear. Participants aged 70 or older often take these lessons and understand the practical benefits of digital applications in their lives.
At a time when the corona pandemic has severely restricted many traditional events, such as spring and autumn road user training, it is even more important to develop alternative formats. The Seniors' Advisory Board already discussed this at its meeting on August 16th and invites the population to submit suggestions or criticisms via the website.
In summary, it can be said that there are interesting developments in Zella-Mehlis that aim to enable older citizens to lead an active and self-determined life. The success of the Kaffeeklatsch and the new digital offerings will certainly help to further strengthen the community of seniors in the future.