As National Senior Center Month is celebrated every year in September, the Mt. Si Senior Center has chosen September for a major fundraising effort.
To ensure the center keeps its current level of support and grows its programming, Mt. Si Senior Center will host a ‘Support our Seniors’ [fundraising] Dinner Auction Saturday, September 30th from 6PM to 10PM at Si View Community Center.
Organizers say the community can help with the event in 4 ways:
- They need folks to attend: Tickets are $40, which covers the cost of the event and includes dinner. There will be a silent and live auction with a no-host bar.
- They need some volunteers for the weekend before and the day of.
- They would appreciate additional live and silent auction items.
- It’s not too late to sponsor or just donate funds, if that is easier.
[Visit the MSSC website at www.mtsiseniorcenter.org to purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or make a donation.]
About Mt. Si Senior Center
Many of the seniors who utilize Mt. Si Senior Center are from the Snoqualmie Valley of old. They have/were:
- Lived in the Valley for most of their lives
- Worked locally and supported only local businesses, owned and operated by their neighbors and friends.
- Were schooled in the Snoqualmie Valley, as were their children and, in some cases, their grandchildren.
- Had tax dollars support the Valley through its many changes.
- Volunteered, participated, and cared for the community we call home.
Additionally, most local seniors believed they saved enough for retirement, but the reality is many who rely on the Center are on Medicaid.
“For those who have given us so much, it’s our turn to give back,” says Mt. Si Senior Center Executive Director Susan Kingsbury-Comeau.
She further explained that unfortunately, as we age, our worlds shrink – and this one of the toughest truths for many to face as they age. Kingsbury-Comeau says the Senior Center provides respite from this and allows seniors a place to age gracefully and with dignity.
Critical Programming
Mt. Si Senior Center strives to help older adults maintain their dignity and independence as they age in the Snoqualmie Valley. The Center provides:
- A community to gather, to share, to participate
- A balanced meal, 5 days a week
- Exercise programming for body and mind
- Information and assistance
- Transportation through Snoqualmie Valley Transit, which provides fixed-route and door to door bus service to get seniors to and from doctor appointments, shopping, or seeing friends
- Low-income senior housing at Sno-Ridge Apartments
An abundance of programs and activities makes the Center a corner-stone of daily life of many local, older adults. The Center serves people 50 and older, but it is the Valley’s oldest citizens who rely on Mt. Si Senior Center the most. MSSC serves:
- 50% of North Bend adults age 65 to 84
- over 75% of North Bend seniors over the age of 85
- 17% of Snoqualmie adults age 65 to 84
- 21% of Snoqualmie seniors over the age of 85
Funding Challenges
The Center’s biggest challenge is funding, relying heavily on grants and contracts which account for about 69% of the operating budget. Kingsbury-Comeau said in reality, some of these consistent sources have dried up.
Currently, less than 2% of the Center’s income is from fundraising and donations, and as such, the Center’s sources of income must be diversified. Because of this, fundraising has becoming more critical.
Mt. Si Senior Center has been expanding fundraising efforts on a smaller scale, but more help is needed to maintain the level programming. The September Support our Seniors Dinner and Auction is a step toward that fundraising expansion – and organizers hope the community helps make it a success.
