MOUNT POCONO, Pa. — Going from booth to booth inside the Pocono Mountain Swiftwater Elementary Center near Mount Pocono, Tom Ilch of Bartonsville got some useful information at this year's Senior Expo.
"Looking at all the different services for senior citizens in the county. It's been like a slow run for me going in because it's a turnover from being younger, and now I'm at that age," Ilch said.
The expo is hosted by State Senator Rosemary Brown and features several dozen non-profits and government agencies, including the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging, The United Way, and PA CareerLink.
"This is meant to help seniors. Whether they are at a point where they need services, or they're just starting to browse because lives change in stages, you may not need something now, but you may need something later. You may have a family member, you may have a friend. So this is about just getting everything and exposing people to what's out there," said State Senator Rosemary Brown, (R) 40th District.
Ilch says it's time to start coming to the expo and figuring out what the next chapter looks like.
He's a retired school bus driver and furniture maker.
"When you hear the word retired, you kind of like, 'Oh, boy.' you've now entered into that new realm. So I'm doing great, and coming here, it's an education," Ilch says.
The main reason why they have this event every year is so people can go from booth to booth and learn about different services all under one roof.
"I think it's just a wonderful thing because, like I said, I don't think I'm the only person that thinks the way I do, so if it just opens doors for folks to see what's going on, you know, it's great," said Ilch.
"It's very informative. There's a little bit for everybody. So it's a good idea that they do this every year," said Fred Talcove of Jackson Township.
Seniors we spoke to say they plan to come back next year to learn more.