Thompson Center on Lourdes

Our mission is to celebrate adults aged 50 and over with a variety of in-person and virtual activities and services that enrich their lives. Vision: Enabling everyone to celebrate life after 50. TCoL is dedicated to those older adults who often are underrepresented and considered the “forgotten population" by providing an environment where they feel as though they belong. The Thompson Center on Lourdes has a deep-rooted history in the Fox Cities. In the 1950's, the Appleton Civic League welcomed new residents to the community, provided volunteerism, philanthropy, pancake suppers, and so much more. Mrs. Neola Thompson formed the first “Welcome Wagon” in Appleton and from there, the Newcomers Club, where members transitioned into the Civic League, a service club for the community. Together, the two clubs formed the “Golden Agers Club”, for those over sixty, giving them a place to socialize and grow old gracefully. Since that time, it has been named Appleton Senior Center, Thompson Community Center and now under the current name of Thompson Center on Lourdes, or TCoL. Through the years and name changes, TCoL has offered services and programs addressing the needs of those aged fifty and older while giving them access to designed to “Enable Everyone to Celebrate Life!” TCoL has had the communities’ arms wrapped around us through these transitions and we continue to persevere and impact our participants and community members. 1951 – Appleton Civic League 1960 – Golden Age Club House 1972 – Clubhouse created an addition to support the Neola Thompson House 1990- Appleton Senior Center renamed Thompson Community Center 2007 - Lutheran Social Services took over operations 2016 – Thompson Community Center closes, and Thompson Center on Lourdes opens 2018 – Thompson Center on Lourdes, (TCoL) becomes a non-profit 501c3 organization 2021 – Accredited by the Wisconsin Association of Senior Centers

TCoL operates 5 days a week and offers over 200 scheduled program opportunities monthly. The Thompson Center on Lourdes provides many of the needed health and welfare programs and resources needed for older adults to age healthy and address any mental health concerns that they may have. Access to socialization, companionship, physical activities, and emotional needs are all addressed at our center either through our programming or collaborative resources. Our current target populations are adults over 50 of all abilities, those who are underserved by access to socialization, people with lower incomes, mental illness, and many more.