Director’s Message
October plans to be a super month at the senior center, with multiple events going on along with new classes and workshops. We hope you will take advantage of them, staying active as we move into the next season.
For those who enjoy reading, you can find wonderful articles regarding Healthy Aging on the following websites: the National Institute on Aging, the National Council on Aging, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Continue to engage your mind, your body, and your spirit to better manage the aging process.
You may notice that classrooms not in use have locked doors and lights off. As our weather changes and less sunlight is upon us, this will be very noticeable. Our reason is that our landlord is facing remarkably high utilities during this school year and have increased all renters’ utility charges for the first time in our tenure at this location. This added charge ranged into the thousands of dollars but after meeting with school representatives, they graciously eliminated this recent charge for one academic year. We do have a rent increase of an additional $400/month and all vendors have raised their prices 15-30%, depending on the service provided. Our best practice is to review all competitive prices/packages and choose the vendor that best serves our needs. We are facing financial challenges in post COVID times.
We frequently hear from our membership, that they believe the senior center is financed 100% by either Sound Generations or the City of Shoreline. Neither is accurate! We are an independent non-profit, with staff raising over $600,000/year, through various means. We are deeply grateful to our cities for the financial assistance they provide each year, accounting for 1/6 of our total costs. As for Sound Generations, we partner with them to provide us a financial credit line throughout the year (we pay off in December), and we contract with them for back-office services, such as IT, Human Resources, and grant tracking. They bill us for these services as any business would.
The Annual Community Breakfast is a terrific way to show your support to the center. All members are invited and encouraged to bring business owners in the community, as we believe the program will provide great insights into the latest marketing strategies for 2023. If you are unable to attend, you may donate on our webpage at www.shorelinelfpseniorcenter.org or use the envelope inserted in this newsletter. Thank you for your support for the work that we do, the programs and the services provided. Help us to continue bringing quality programs, outstanding instructors, and informative events to our community.
Holiday Bazaar! Holiday Bazaar! It’s almost here and this year, 50% of our vendors are new, bringing unique handcrafts to delight all. Mark your calendars for October 21st and 22nd to begin your seasonal shopping spree. Our Silent Auction is gearing up to be even more spectacular than last year!
For anyone wishing to join the senior center at this time, our membership fee will be $17 through to December. This is a super deal as it provides discounts on classes and services.
We have volunteer opportunities on our Events Committee as well as other areas of the center. Please let us know if you are interested in learning more.
Take care and I’ll see you at the center!
Theresa