Every Saturday, the parking lot at the Cullman VFW slowly fills as seniors from every corner of Cullman County (and beyond) arrive. There’s a free meal waiting inside, but the real attraction is the weekly company of their friends…and the dancing.

“Oh, we start out slow,” says singer and guitarist Jamie Brown, who coordinates the event as the leader of Cullman’s Senior Outreach nonprofit. “We’ll start with slow songs, but as the night goes on, the ones who can will get up there and really boogie-woogie!”

Brown and her mother play in the Junction Band, the band-in-residence for the weekly get-togethers, coordinated by Brown herself and supported through food and funding donations by local restaurants and businesses. Starting at 5 p.m., she and the rest of the band mingle with the crowd — often numbering as high as 80 — while dinner is served. Then the lights go down, and from 6 o’clock on, it’s all about the music and the dancing.

Brown said she got the idea for the weekly get-togethers after facing some health problems of her own, and seeing the solitude many seniors face through her volunteer work at the Donald E. Green Senior Center.

“Me and Barry, my husband, started this back in April,” she explained. “I volunteered at the senior center, and I saw the need for them to have something to do on the weekends, because a lot of seniors have absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go. They don’t have family, or a place to go, or a really good meal. For some of them, this is their only outlet.

“When I got sick, I realized that my grandma and grandpa — I didn’t spend enough time with them. In society, we focus so much on what’s going to happen to the children. But our seniors are special. These seniors have lived good lives. They have been there for us throughout our lives. Our ancestors are special. We’re supposed to take care of our ancestors; our elderly. One day we’re going to be the elderly, and hope that people are there to take care of us. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, isn’t it? So as long as I’m living, I’m gonna keep going, and try to help somebody.”

Brown’s nonprofit, Senior Outreach, has found its rhythm, thanks to Brown’s tireless effort (“I’ve been up since four this morning,” she confesses), along with the weekly efforts of a handful of on-site volunteers. But even mid-stride, it’s still finding its legs.

The crowd fills the VFW almost to the limit on some nights, and there’s no assurance the venue will be available on a weekly basis in the future. Food and funding is always an ad hoc affair. And while Brown keeps a high profile for the outreach by spreading the word through the community and via Facebook, lots of people still don’t know they’re there.

“We’re planning a Hee Haw-themed event sometime early next year,” said Brown, describing what she hopes will be a signature event that raises awareness while involving seniors themselves with casting for singing and acting roles.

“We’re really hoping Hee Haw’s going to go off big, and we’d really like y’all to put it in the paper. We really want not just to honor our seniors, but to spend time with them, and actually give back to them in a meaningful way.”

To that we’ll say “sa-LUTE!” — and save the date for Hee Haw, once the details are hammered down.

To learn more about Senior Outreach, search “Senior Outreach Organization Cullman” on Facebook. And whether you’re young, old, or somewhere in between, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in our community, from all of us here at The Times.