ERVING — Paula Betters, director of the Erving Senior & Community Center, is taking the next 145 days before her retirement on July 18 to put the cherry on top of her decade of work.

Since she became director of the center at 1 Care Drive, which opened in 2011, Betters has transformed it into a vibrant space for older adults seeking socialization and services.

“If you come here, I know you want to be here. If you come here and you interact, we can see it,” Betters said of the center. “This place makes such a huge difference for so many people.”

Betters came to the director’s position after working as an interior designer at her business Creative Designs and co-owning the former Country Living restaurant with her husband for 27 years. She then worked 20 years at Yankee Candle as a product design developer and senior retail buyer until she was laid off in 2015, leaving her without a job.

“But I didn’t panic,” Betters recalled, saying she thought about what she could do while unemployed. So, she came to the Senior Center for the exercise programs and learned that then-Director Polly Kiely was retiring. Once she got the job, Betters said she “started off running.”

Over the last decade, Betters has worked with her staff to make the center welcoming and make hospitality a priority. Although her background is in business and design, she said that being a “people person” with the knowledge of how to run a business taught her how she could expand services, which were limited a decade ago.

Over the last 10 years, Betters pointed out, the seniors who visit are the “new senior,” characterized by a youthful energy and willingness to try new things — “movers and shakers,” as she describes them.

To keep up with the new senior, today’s Senior & Community Center offers a range of activities and services. These include weekly exercise classes, a quilting and sewing workshop, bingo and card games, along with services including a SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) program counselor on staff from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, free van pickup via the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) for shopping and medical appointments, and outreach and referral services. The center also hosts holiday-themed events throughout the year with help from the Friends of the Erving Senior & Community Center, and offers day trips to activities outside Erving.

In reflecting on some of the things she’s most proud of during her time as director, Betters pointed to the large expansion of services for the community, but also some of the outreach provided during the pandemic. “Erving Bearing Gifts,” a project the center undertook using a grant from the Massachusetts Councils on Aging, entailed putting together gift baskets for seniors to help reduce isolation.

“We put together gorgeous baskets for them, and we delivered, and we have pictures of everybody that we delivered to,” Betters said. “And that went a long, long way.”

Betters also pointed to when she created the current branding for the Senior & Community Center, featuring a French King Bridge design and slogan “Where Community Meets,” which she said helped create a welcoming atmosphere and local feel.

Now that Betters is retiring within the next few months, she’s working with the Erving Selectboard and Town Administrator Bryan Smith to prepare for her replacement. She said she’s had the chance to look over and update a job description. The Selectboard met on Feb. 3 to discuss what the process will look like, from placing a job posting and creating a hiring committee, to interviewing candidates over the spring and summer.

Ideally, Betters wants someone who will continue to foster the Senior & Community Center’s welcoming atmosphere. She also hopes for someone who advocates for seniors by putting the lives of others before themselves, and who will maintain the hospitality the center provides through its activities and services.

“I think you’ve just got to be able to give,” Betters said of the director’s position. “You come second. They come first.”

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.