Senior center invites in others for activities, volunteering

If you are at least 18 years of age, the welcome mat is out for you at the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center.

“It’s really a community center,” new President Birdie Hensley said last week.

While the center is widely used by seniors, with 184 members, there is lots to do for people of all ages, she said.

Like to play pool? The center offers an open pool table. Like to play cards? You can find card games going on most days when the center is open.

One thing Hensley is focusing on as the new year begins is to develop the Senior Center volunteer program.

“We need volunteers, and we are not going to load people up when they volunteer,” Hensley stated. “People can volunteer for just a single task.”

Seniors voted in a new set of officers Dec. 18. In addition to Hensley, new officers include Kay Wallace as treasurer and Susan Miller as secretary. The office of vice president is yet to be filled.

Trustees are Hazel Johnson and Marie Chuinard, both for three-year terms; Larry Curtis and Ross Vordahl, two-year terms; and Harley Shaw and Charles Long, one-year terms.

Darla Orr is in charge of the senior meal program.

Two active departments that provide community service include the group’s aluminum can recycling program, chaired by Charles Long and Liz Palachuk; and the Thrift Store, with Eloise Bowman in charge.

The aluminum can program, a strong recycling effort, returns over $1,000 to the seniors each year, according to Hensley.

The Thrift Store, serves the entire community with its recycling of usable items, brought in over $29,000 through the first 11 months in 2014.

Volunteers are needed for such things as changing furnace filters, bulb replacement, ordering of supplies, janitorial issues, snow removal, sidewalk cleaning, sending out thank-you cards, plumbing, carpenter needs, electrical needs, newsletters, membership, and a variety of other efforts.

Many of these needs could be taken care of in an hour or two each week, Hensley suggests.

The Senior Center has two buses, and the travel program is varied, but includes a weekly trip to Spokane.

Other trips are planned and the seniors are looking for people to come up with ideas and work to make them happen.

“It’s the people’s center,” Hensley stated. “Come and take advantage of the programs.”