Corbin center — mecca of activity

Corbin Senior Activity Center ranks first or second in activities offered to senior citizens in the city of Spokane, according to bookkeeper and tour coordinator Marj Tomes.

But chances are most people in Spokane do not know the magnitude of Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave. – not to be confused with Corbin Art Center, which is located on the lower South Hill and also has been a significant contributor to the community.

Corbin Senior Center is a mecca of activity and resources for senior citizens. No need for loneliness there.

The 180-person dining room, with full kitchen, serves lunch every Wednesday noon and on special occasions. Lunches cost only $3.25, “celebrity chef” lunches are $5 and ethnic meals are $7. Potlucks are free.

Come in any day of the week, Monday through Friday, for lots of activities or just good conversation.

Chalk up that cue stick for a challenging game of pool in the game room. Put on dancing shoes and sway to the music of the live band in the large ballroom; join in or watch the Tap Grandmas (ages range from 50 into the 80s). Participate in lively games of Texas Hold-‘em, Bunko, Three Dice, bridge, poker or pinochle or participate in the citywide cribbage tournament.

Need exercise? The Hikers meet every Thursday for a two- to three-mile walk. Tai chi, yoga, Pilates and aerobics are scheduled on specific days. Blood-pressure checks, massage and reflexology sound good, too. Participants come from as far as Deer Park, Valley and Ritzville, Wash.

Classrooms hold as many as 40 students. Subjects of interest to senior citizens include safe driving, tax help, languages, poetry and writers workshops. Groups also may rent rooms for their meetings.

Among the most distinguishing activities of Corbin Senior Center and among the favorites of its members are the group tours in the center’s vans. For larger tours, a motor coach is provided.

Tomes arranges the tours, taking travelers to British Columbia’s Ainsworth Hot Springs, Arizona, hot-air balloon races in Walla Walla, springtime in the South, New Year’s on the Queen Mary and on Mediterranean and Mexican Riviera cruises, to name a few.

The building housing the senior center at Cleveland and Lincoln is special and has an interesting history spanning more than 100 years. Formerly, it was a church owned by Corbin Park Methodist.

In the ‘60s, leaders of the church decided maintenance and renovation of the building were becoming too expensive and decided to sell it. A local group asked them to sell the building for the purpose of serving senior citizens.

So, in 1966, Corbin Senior Center was born. It was incorporated in 1967.

The building was refurbished, ceilings were lowered about 4 feet and new flooring was installed. Now, in addition to the game room, ballroom, dining room, kitchen and classrooms, the old church houses a boutique gift shop, a reception area and offices for two full-time and two part-time paid staff members and many volunteers.

There is a large parking lot, and building entrances accommodate wheelchairs.

Reminders of the building’s former life as a church still remain, such as the original stained glass in the main ballroom. And the exterior still reflects the magnificence of the former church.

Inside, a feeling of reverence still prevails. At first, you feel you should speak softly – almost whisper – but you soon learn much is happening in the building. You hear raucous laughter and see people helping people, enjoying one another’s company and reliving the past through the camaraderie of their peers.

But that’s not all, not by a long shot. People are building new memories there every day.

For example, scheduled activities in October include an employment and volunteer fair and the annual dinner theater, with a prize for the first person who solves the mystery. In March, a health fair will feature at least 10 vendors free to the public.

Funding for center comes from activities, the low-cost lunches, Corbin cookbook, tours, room rentals and the gift shop selling donated items. The major fundraiser is the annual auction and dinner in April.

Less than 10 percent of Corbin’s funds come from the Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Spokane.

Yes, many senior citizens are building lots of fond memories at Corbin Senior Center. You can, too, by joining them.