Senior Center to be New Community Organization



The Senior Center burst into moms and babies, tables and
food, and piles of beautifully-wrapped gifts for almost
new mom, Ashley Ross, who is expecting on May 13.
The building definitely lived up to its motto,
"The Center for All Ages".



   The Garden Valley Senior Center has a unique and exciting opportunity to become a totally new community organization for all ages in the valley--to become something completely unique for the good of everyone.

  Senior Center president, Ron Richter, says, “Here’s the deal. The Center has recently been informed that ‘the sequester’ has hit the agency that has been paying for the staff of the Center and for reimbursing for the meals served. As of the end of June, the agency will not be able to pay for staff and will have to reduce the amount reimbursed for meals. As you can imagine, the Center cannot continue to provide for long without this subsidizing, so something will have to change.”

  The Center now has the opportunity to stop what it has been trying to accomplish and restructure itself into whatever it wants to become.  

  Think about it. We now have the opportunity to gater the community’s input and suggestions and emerge as a completely different community service, designed for the purpose of becoming what the people in the Valley want the Center to become.

  It is obvious that the old Senior Center was accomplishing very little of what Garden Valley wanted. Meal attendance shrank to less than ten people on some nights. Activities attempted, such as game nights, dance lessons, hobby sessions, card playing nights, special breakfasts and holiday meals have been poorly attended; building rentals are minimal. The Center has been unable to find more than a couple of people who want and need home-delivered meals. 

  Also, getting anyone to volunteer to help with anything, especially with volunteering for the board of directors, is beyond disappointment. The number of very faithful people who have always been there to help and volunteer has dwindled down to a small few who are now getting tired and burned out.

  This is not to say that there have not been some successes. Granny’s Closet is the exception, and the outstanding hard work of a team of ladies has made the Closet an important stop for all of us living in the Valley. Also, the overwhelming success of the February Talent Show was most encouraging, and it is hoped that this will become an annual February event--but the successes are not enough to carry the Center forward.

  So this opportunity to resurrect the Center as a new and different organization is an exciting offer for the community to come forward and be a part of the new Center. The present board of directors met in Emmett on April 10, joining other Centers who were also looking at restructuring options. Now the Center is accepting input and welcoming new volunteers for the board. Join in for this important process.

  Keep a lookout for flyers on bulletin boards, the newspaper and blogs for information on how you can contribute. Put our June 1 Home Tour fundraiser on your calendar.

  For now, Dinner is still served at 6 p.m., Wednesday and Fridays. Next Wednesday, come in for Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Veggies, Salad Bar and Rolls, and Tapioca Pudding. Friday, 4/25, the Center will serve up BBQ Pork Ribs, Herbed Potato, Coleslaw, Salad Bar & Rolls, and Bread Pudding.

  Breakfast on Thursday, 4/25, at 9:30, will be GV Mountain Biscuits & Gravy , Scrambled Eggs and Fruit.

 Join Ione for her free exercise class, every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 p.m. The cricks and creaks combined with snowy-day munching have taken their toll—time to stretch and move it and this is gentle stuff—come in and feel better.

   Granny’s Closet is open Fridays, 12-5, and Saturdays, 11-4. The wise Granny’s shopper knows a stop in every week is essential for finding what you want—but any visit will tempt you with something you never wanted but now must have “at this great price!”.

  The Center is open during Granny’s hours and exercise, and also Wednesdays and Fridays, 12-7, and Thursdays, 8-11. Call Judy for building rental and other information: 462-3943, or mail to gvseniors@frontiernet.net. Located at 261 S. Middle Fork Road, Crouch/GV. All ages are welcome—hope to see you.