Senior Center Will Raise Its Profile In Community

The South Hill Senior Center may have 1,200 members, but a consultant said not enough people in Spokane know it exists.

If members of the senior center hope to raise money for a new $1.8 million facility, they’ve got to increase their visibility to attract donors, said Adams & Associates of Spokane.

As a result, the senior center and its members are embarking on what they call a pre-campaign to call attention to the services and benefits of its facility.

At a meeting earlier this month, the general membership voted unanimously in favor of the pre-campaign, said Carol Delehanty, the center president.

“We are a long way from asking the community and our members for help,” Delehanty said. “We have a big project, and we are trying to do it the right way.”

Delehanty is asking the members to spend the next six months getting the message of the center out to the community, she said.

At the same time, the membership is planning to hire Adams & Associates to develop a marketing strategy for the fund-raising campaign, expected to start next year.

An advisory board is being formed to guide the campaign.

Another committee will pursue options for a new 2.5-acre site somewhere near Lincoln Heights. Several possible sites have been identified, but Delehanty would not disclose them.

The seniors hope to build a new 12,000-square-foot facility to house the classes, luncheons, dances, card games, travel bureau and other activities of the center.

Delehanty said the senior center is increasingly important because of the aging population on the South Hill.

It provides a place for active seniors who want to keep busy in their retirement years, she said. The membership fee is $10 a year.

For many members, the center is a place they can socialize, learn more about the world or volunteer in the community. The center can fill a void left when a husband or wife dies, Delehanty said.

“We all go through life changes, and when we do, we all need help,” she said.

The center is hoping to tap into the potential for more volunteer service by its members.

A travel bureau was recently opened to give seniors lower-cost options for tours.

Delehanty said the center has an early start on fund raising.

Earlier this month, the center raised $1,200 by selling plants donated by Richard Herrmann, a South Hill greenhouse gardener. Another $900 was raised at a tea dance fund-raiser.

The center also has accumulated money in a building fund, but Delehanty won’t say how much is in it.

The current leased center at 2727 S. Mount Vernon doesn’t have a commercial kitchen for preparing meals.

Some of the biggest social activities are the low-cost lunches and dinners. Classroom space is limited.

Part of the center is accessible by stairway, which is difficult for handicapped seniors to negotiate.

, DataTimes