Community members take part in an exercise class at Humana’s new community center located in the Westlake Shopping Center in Peoria. The center offers a variety of activities for all ages with no Humana membership required. (Photo courtesy of Humana/The Hive 2018)

Insurance companies usually focus on helping members with health issues, but Humana is hoping to be a resource for the entire community with a new Peoria center.

“Our concept is that we’re really a place where community members can come and take advantage of programs that we offer at no charge. No Humana membership is required,” Humana regional manager Daryl Fohr said of the company’s new community center at 2601 West Lake Ave. in the Westlake Shopping Center.

Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, the center offers fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, health and wellness seminars, social activities and more.

Humana now operates nearly 60 community centers around the country since opening its first in 2008. The company previously had a center in Peoria on Hale Avenue but decided to expand to the busier Westlake Shopping Center area.

“We moved to a centralized location to give more folks in the community the opportunity to be able to access us,” Fohr said. “We were on the outskirts of town before in an area that wasn’t quite as easy to locate.”

The new location also puts the center closer to community partners Humana can pair up with for seminars and demonstrations, including The Fresh Market right next door.

“One of the classes we offer is on learning how to shop to create healthy meals,” Fohr said. “We do cooking demonstrations, and then we can take folks on a shopping market tour to learn how to look at labels and read ingredients at The Fresh Market. At the other location we didn’t have that opportunity.”

Humana regional manager Daryl Fohr (third from right) stands with Humana team members at the ribbon cutting ceremony during the recent grand opening of the company’s new community center in Peoria. Fohr said the goal of the center is to help the community be healthy and socialize through free classes, seminars and other activities. (Photo courtesy of Humana/The Hive 2018)

While the community center is open to anyone, Fohr said it’s popular with older folks seeking socialization. “We draw a lot of seniors, which we’re very excited about. But people of all ages can take advantage of our classes and activities at no cost.”

Because programming varies from week to week, Fohr was unable to estimate how many people drop in to the center on an average day. “Every day is kind of different,” he said.

This month’s calendar includes a seminar on the benefits of dark chocolate at 10 a.m. Jan. 29, a workshop on how to solve sleep problems at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 30 and a smoothie demonstration at 11 a.m. Jan. 31.

“We also offer health classes and seminars on chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Fohr said. “Something people might not expect to be able to come to is a class called Harmonicas for Health, which is focused on folks with COPD. We teach them how to play the harmonica in order to increase their lung functionality. It’s basically a breathing rehab, so they can learn to breathe easier and be more healthy.”

A group of women socialize at the recent grand opening of Humana’s new community center located in the Westlake Shopping Center in Peoria. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, the center is a place where area residents can gather to engage in fun healthy activities at no charge. (Photo courtesy of Humana/The Hive 2018)

The schedule includes caregiving classes, fitness demonstrations, crafting, social events such as movies and birthday celebrations, a book club and activities on behavioral and mental health. Everything is drop-in with no registration required.

“We want folks to know this is a place in the community that they can trust,” Fohr said. “We want them to make friends and to feel that they’re not isolated. No matter if they’re a Humana member or not, there’s a place they can come to to stay active, stay social and learn something that can help them stay healthy or become healthier.”

The center is also a place for Humana members to get questions answered about their coverage or filing claims or obtaining identification cards. “We have two customer service reps on site, and they stay very busy,” Fohr said. “You don’t have to worry about making a phone call. Here you have that face-to-face person that’s going to help you take care of your claim or your question. We serve a lot of folks in that way.”

Fohr said feedback from those who have come to the community center has been positive, and he hopes more people will take advantage of all the center offers. “People really enjoy the education and socialization they get here,” he said.

For more information about the Humana community center, call (309) 691-1677 or visit the website www.humana.com/about/humana-in-your-community/il/2601-west-lake-avenue-peoria.

—Humana’s community center offers classes, health and wellness seminars and social activities for all–