Director’s Message

We will soon be presenting a major change in the daily Community Dining Program (or Congregate Nutrition Program), as we are mandated by funding sources.  Effective May 1, 2023, we will no longer be providing ‘pick-up’ meals.  This refers to the daily ability for participants to call before 9:00 a.m. and request a meal for that day.  All lunch meals will be served in-house, no pick-ups will be allowed.  The program remains the same: a wonderful, hot, nutritious meal served Monday through Friday, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., with the last serving at 12:15 p.m., seated in our Multi-Purpose Room.  We hope you will consider transitioning to the in-house dining to enjoy not only a lovely meal, but also have the opportunity to meet new friends.  The concept of Community Dining was that individuals would gather, socialize, and enjoy a healthy meal.  I have never seen a greater need for our participants to socialize than I do now, post COVID.  We have live entertainment scheduled monthly for the Birthday Parties as well as special event days such as St. Patrick’s Day.  Another NEW practice with the lunch program will be chef Donnie adding a SOUL FOOD menu, once a month.  We’re sure to have a treat as he shares some of his own recipes.

On a Covid-related  topic, I want to remind everyone that if you have been exposed to or currently have COVID, please remember to isolate yourself, and do not come to the Center as you could expose staff and other participants to the illness.  As a courtesy, if you have the flu, you should also refrain from coming to the Center and thereby exposing others to illness.  Your consideration on this is appreciated.

As you read through the newsletter, some articles regarding service information are repeated, but please note that we add 2-4 new programs per month.  For those who love to dance, check out our Zumba class.

Our March 25^th Spring Fling Craft Bazaar is shaping up to be a super fun day!  With all the new vendors participating this spring, you are sure to find the perfect Mother’s Day, Easter, or Father’s Day gift.  Take care and I’ll see you at the Center!

Theresa LaCroix

Thank you to all who took the time to purchase your 2023 membership.  We are very happy to share that we have 452 members as of January 31, 2023, and the number is growing.  Our goal for this year is to have 1,000 registered members, as we had 969 in 2019.  In previous messages, I shared that memberships are one of our 8 revenue generating practices.  This month, I thought I would share information about Corporate Matching.

What is corporate donation matching?

Donation matching is a corporate giving initiative in which an employer matches their employee’s contribution to a specific cause, increasing the gift. For example, if a Microsoft employee donates $50 to a local organization, the matching gift would be Microsoft’s additional donation of $50.  Therefore, we receive a total of $100 for that individual’s donation.  Often, a corporation will match what the public donates during a specific period in which a non-profit is fundraising.  This often results in thousands of dollars being donated to the agency.

Why do corporations match donations?

In short, matching gifts is a simpler way of enacting corporate donations, allowing corporate giving revenue to be more evenly distributed to a wider range of nonprofit recipients. When an employee shows their employer which charities they care about, companies know how to allocate their giving budget.

Do you or a family member know of a company that practices MATCH DONATION either a) through their employee giving program or b) in support of community-wide giving?  Perhaps your adult child works for an agency or firm that has a Donor Program, that you could share with me.  I would be happy to reach out to the agency and begin the conversation around selecting our Senior Center as a recipient of their giving program.  These donations can range from $100 to $10,000.  We appreciate every penny we receive towards our goal of raising $610,000 for 2023, to cover our costs.  I hope to hear from some of you and will see you at the Center!

Theresa LaCroix

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We are so happy to have you join us at the center following the storms.  We are grateful for the laughter and conversations returning to our halls.

We start the New Year with very exciting news.  Our wonderful friends at Live Long and Prosper Foundation have chosen us as one of their donor recipients in 2023.  The founders presented us with a check for $50,661.82 to be utilized for Fitness and Wellness classes over the next five years.  As we are a Wellness Model of a senior center (greater focus on fitness classes and medical services), we will use the funds to support specialized fitness courses each year.  Specialized fitness includes classes that address cancer wellness, osteoporosis, arthritis, memory loss, etc.  Moving forward, you will note in the newsletter 1-2 free fitness classes each month.  The donated funds will cover the cost of the instructor and any equipment while the Senior Center will continue to undertake the overhead costs for the class, such as marketing, housekeeping, etc.  We extend a very sincere Thank You to our donors as they support and encourage us to continue with our vision of becoming a premier Wellness Center in northwest King County.  As of January 2023, we host 26 fitness classes weekly (this includes our wonderful dance classes as they meet the criteria for evidence-based exercise).  If you have been too shy to sign-up for one, know that each month we have individuals joining these classes who have never exercised before.  The staff and instructors are happy to chat with you and assist you in finding the right choice.  Many of the classes also offer one free visit, so that you can assess whether or not the program is a good fit for you.

In closing, I would also like to encourage you to notify me of any Family Foundations of which you are aware.  I’m happy to reach out and share all that goes on within our walls, introduce them to our amazing instructors, and share how great our participants are.  Together, we can spread the word about the Center and develop a consistent, sustainable funding base.  Thank you for all that you do to help us in our work.  Wishing each of you a great start to the New Year.  See you at the Center!

“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”

-Betty Friedan

I would like to thank everyone who participated in Give Big Tuesday and helped us diminish our current operations loan. For those who missed the date, we are hosting Give Big Tuesday throughout the month of December 2022. You can donate on our website at www.shorelinelfpseniorcenter.org, mail a check to us or drop off your donation. We can take both debit and credit cards as well.
It wouldn’t be fair to ask you for financial donations without sharing pertinent information with you.
As of October 31st, here are just a few of the services we have provided in 2022:
– 20,396 participant visits to the Senior Center for classes and services (1st time or repeat visits)
– 10,693 participation visits to Fitness classes and Wellness Programs (medical services)
– 5,423 hot, nutritious meals served in-house Monday – Friday (Community Dining Program)
– 1,440 bags of fresh produce home delivered to low-income housing in Partnership with the Shoreline Farmers Market and Everett Clinic
– 159 Emergency rescue grocery bags provided from the Senior Center
– 461 Social Work counseling sessions
– Average over 1,000 participants per month in Fitness & Wellness programs
– $5,000 in $50 Gift Cards provided to low-income seniors to support Food Security and medicinal supplies
– Over 450 aging adults in the Foot Care Program with reoccurring treatments every 4-6 weeks
– Added ‘Select A Language’ (translation link) for 50 languages on our website
– Developed, implemented, and sustained new programming for underserved populations to include, but not limited to, Veterans, LGBTQ+, and Latino community members
– And the list goes on and on
It has been a wonderful year, full of surprises as we reopened our doors. The staff has really enjoyed hearing laughter and conversations in the hallways, and seeing past friends reunite. We are excited to move into 2023 with all of you and wish you a prosperous and healthy New Year!

Theresa