News

 May Directors Letter—Lisa Yeager retires!

The Sno-Valley Senior Center has been part of my life for over 20 years! I started as Director of the Senior Center in 2001 – 2008. This building was still fairly new to us. We were known for our steak  dinners and pie auction, then we added a plant sale and an auction gala. I left for new adventures in 2008 but then I served on the SVSC board until returning as Director in March 2016. But now I get to retire! It is bittersweet as my friendships and connections with this Center are so deep. I will miss you all and our incredible staff so much.

 I am excited about the future for SVSC with Kira Avery leading. Programs and attendance are growing. The Center plays more of a role in the community than ever. It’s an exciting time! Especially with the new housing project to start construction this summer!

I will be living with my husband, Dave Kylen, in Port Townsend but also being a snowbird in Cave Creek, Arizona. I look forward to lots of volunteering and time for hobbies and my garden. I know I won’t be able to resist visiting the Center often for various events and to check the progress of the housing project. You are invited to stop by and visit me anytime. My personal e-mail address is yeagerlisa69@gmail.com

I really, really hope you’ll come to my lunchtime retirement party on Wednesday, May 31st at noon at the Sno-Valley Senior Center! All are welcome! I wish all of you my best and pray you’ll keep me informed as to your lives. I will continue as a donor to this wonderful senior center and look forward to seeing you around.

All the best, Lisa

We thank Lisa for her time as Director at the Sno-Valley Senior Center from 2001-2008 and from 2016-2023, her leadership has brought us through challenges and moved us forward as an organization.

May is Older American’s Month and the theme this year is “Aging Unbound” which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and discuss how communities can combat stereotypes. Thanks to YOU we are combating stereotypes every day, by offering active and diverse programming.

To celebrate Older Americans Month and Physical Fitness & Sports Month, ALL fitness classes will be FREE the week of May 15-19! You can invite a friend or try something new, see the full schedule on the programming calendar in this newsletter.

I would also invite you to GiveBIG for seniors this year! GiveBIG is a statewide fundraising campaign where individuals and organizations come together across Washington to invest in our communities. Early giving started on April 18 and culminates in 48 hours of giving May 2-3.

This year we are reaching for our biggest goal, to raise $20,000! To help us reach that goal, every dollar donated will be matched up to $8,500 due to the generosity of the Michael & Gina (Cambio) Fisette Charitable Trust & Kimberly Smith with Weichert Realtors   Pillar Northwest! The link to give is: https://www.wagives.org/organization/snovalleyseniorcenter

We were reminded of the importance of having your contact and emergency contact information on file, after an incident involving one of our vans. Everyone involved is ok, however, it highlighted an area where we will be more heavily focused in the coming months.

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at kiraa@soundgenerations.org or 425-333-4152.

Kira Avery, Executive Director

PS. You may have received a postcard or packet referring to the 2021 Data Incident at Sound Generations, and a class action settlement. This is a follow-up notification to a letter that was sent in December 2021, letting potentially affected individuals know about the breach. If you have questions you can call 1-844-510-2004 or go to the website listed on the card at www.SGDataSettlement.com.

April Directors Letter

First, I want to say Thank You to Valerie Stewart, for her hard work as the Veteran’s Seniors Human Services Levy Program Coordinator for the past 3 years. Val has helped to bring programs and resources to the Sno-Valley, Mt. Si, and Issaquah Senior Centers, that otherwise would not have happened.

Thanks to Val, SeaMar is going to each of those senior centers every week to bring Spanish Speaking programs where there haven’t been in the past, POCAAN is coming to Sno-Valley and Mt. Si twice a month, to offer free health care services, and Indian American Community Services was able to host there first in-person Chai and Chat groups, which saw over 15 people at Mt. Si and Sno-Valley.

Val’s ability to create relationships, especially within three entirely different senior centers will be missed. We wish her luck as she starts a new position on the peninsula!

I also want to congratulate Mindie Ribail for being chosen as one of Keep it Local Snoqualmie Valley Employees of the Quarter! Mindie consistently goes above and beyond in her role, and is being acknowledged for her kindness, patience, and work ethic, as well as the contributions she makes to the Sno-Valley Senior Center.

April is also Volunteer Appreciation Month, celebrating the impact volunteers have on our lives and encourages active volunteerism in generations to come. The work that Sno-Valley Senior Center does, and the impact we have on the community would not be possible without our volunteers!

With only 11 staff (including two Hyde Shuttle Drivers and one Chef) at Sno-Valley, the 140+ volunteers that help in all areas of the center are the reason why we are successful in our mission to cultivate a welcoming, inclusive gathering place that supports, inspires, and our Snoqualmie Valley community to lead healthy, enriched lives through participation in diverse programs.

In 2022 alone, 147 volunteers donated almost 11,000 hours of their time to making the Sno-Valley Senior Center the best it can be, which was recognized by the Snoqualmie Valley Record as “best Senior Facility” in the Valley! To celebrate our volunteers, we are hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Event on Wednesday, April 19 from 4:00-6:00pm. Drinks and dessert will be provided, and you are encouraged to bring a dish to share (no shame in store bought)! To RSVP, you can add your name to the list at the Front Desk or send an email to kendram@soundgenerations.org.

We have now had evening programming at the Sno-Valley Senior Center for 1 year, and we are so encouraged by the participation we’ve had. We are staffed Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings to offer the programs listed below (and we are always looking to add more!). I hope you will stop by to try something out, especially now that it’s staying lighter, later in the day.

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Current Events Meet-Up: Every other Monday from 4:00-6:00pm
• Zumba Gold: Every Monday at 6:30pm
• Functional Fitness with Laura: Tuesdays at 4:30pm
• Social Dance Class: Thursdays at 7pm

Various programs, such as basket making or chocolate making are occurring more often in the evening, check the calendar!

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at kiraa@soundgenerations.org or 425-333-4152.

Kira Avery, Executive Director

March Directors Letter

I’m excited to share with you our 2022 Gratitude Report, included in this newsletter. In 2022 we were excited to be open for a full year since 2019. We upgraded the community computer lab with new computers, monitors, and a new printer. Our programming calendar continued to expand with classes like Otago, Basket Making, and Tai Chi.

We were able to offer evening programming after hiring Senior Center Assistant, Kendra Mass, and now have fitness programming 3 evenings per week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays).

Thanks to a capital campaign lead by Lisa Yeager, we raised the funds needed to build affordable senior housing, right here in the Snoqualmie Valley.

Some of the most impactful difference makers were our GEMs- those who Give Every Month. We have 44 households that donate   every month, who provide us with consistent funding that we can rely on to support, inspire, and uplift our community to lead healthy, enriched lives.

Why become a monthly donor? Our GEMs compound their impact with a consistent cash flow, which makes us a better, more efficient organization that can be more innovative and able to meet the needs of more people than ever.

We have 44 GEMs today, and our goal is to have 55 by the end of March. YOU can help us reach that goal!

When asked why they give, one of our monthly donors said, “It is a wonderful community resource that we personally benefit from physically, emotionally, and socially.”

What can your monthly gift accomplish?

• $100 per month can provide 20 hot, made-from-scratch meals per month.
• $75 per month covers the cost if 1 month of fitness classes.
• $50 per month covers the cost of support group counseling for grief and for caregivers for two groups each month.
• $30 per month provides homebound seniors with 5 meals of nutritious good delivered to their door, each month.
• $20 per month covers the cost for a senior to attend 2 classes per month (creative writing, Yoga, Drums Alive, etc).
• $10 per month provides small supplies needed for a minor home repair.

Any amount makes a difference (one-time gifts are also a wonderful way to support Sno-Valley Senior Center if you’re unable to do monthly!).

When you start making a monthly pledge, we will send you a small gift, to show our gratitude for your support!

In the meantime, enjoy all the accomplishments presented in our 2022 Gratitude Report. Our success is your success!

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at kiraa@soundgenerations.org or 425-333-4152.Kira Avery, Executive Director

Directors letter – February 2023

I am excited to announce that we have hired a new Program Coordinator, Carrie Harris! Below is a short message from Carrie, who will mostly be in the office Monday-Thursday.

“I am excited to be joining Sno-Valley Senior Center and Sound Generations! I have lived in Duvall for almost 26 years, with a brief respite of living on Whidbey Island, which was enjoyable and much needed, but I am happy to be back! I raised two kids here, from Cherry Valley Elementary through Cedarcrest HS, they have been living their lives in many locations, but I am thrilled that last fall brought them both back to the PNW! In addition to working here, I am a yoga instructor and I work a couple of days a month at a wine tasting room in Woodinville. I look forward to meeting you all in the coming months, please stop in an introduce yourself anytime!”

We are grateful to have Carrie joining our team, she brings experience at Holy Innocents Food Pantry and has been
jumping in to the position with both feet. If you have questions, Carrie’s email address is carrieh@soundgenerations.org

As we start the new year, our Far East Senior Hub (FESH) programming is expanding!

The Far East Senior HUB (FESH) is a partnership formed in 2019 between Sno-Valley, Mt. Si and Issaquah Senior Centers as a result from joint funding received from the King County Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy. (VSHSL). As the FESH we are very lucky to collaborate with external organizations, including SeaMar, Indian American Community Services, Gen Pride, Age Pride, Pride Across the Bridge, POCAAN, Empower Youth Network, Encompass, WATAP, Asian Ambassadors and more wonderful groups to bring in diverse programming to seniors in Snoqualmie Valley.

Some of the FESH events coming up in 2023 at the Sno-Valley Senior Center include working with SeaMar to provide Spanish speaking programming for seniors from all over the world!  SeaMar has successfully participated in our first Spanish Speaking movie day watching the movie EnCanto in Spanish and enjoyed a lively Drums Alive class as well as monthly lunches.  As a result of our SeaMar partnership we have started beginning Spanish classes once per week! Are you curious about speaking Spanish and learning something from our elders or have a family member that speaks
Spanish? Come visit with SeaMar seniors the third Monday of every month from 10-1pm, and ask us about our beginning Spanish language class!

We are also currently working with Indian American Community Services to plan Chai and Chat tea and social gatherings in person once per month alternating between the three centers in the HUB.  This February Sno-Valley will be hosting its first Chai and Chat with IACS on Friday, February 24^th at 1pm – 3:30pm. Come have fun with Bollywood music, games, tea and snacks! All are welcome.

In March we are also co-hosting our first LGBTQ+ Pride Across the Bridge partnership brunch at the Redmond Pancake House to bring seniors together. March 7^th at 10:30 am. Come meet new friends! Monthly Pride brunches to be held the first Tuesday of every month.

Finally, every other Monday at 4pm we host a new Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging group to make space for
important conversation. Converse about current events, go on field trips and learn from folks in the community to build bridges and learn about equity, ageism, inclusion, belonging and more. See calendar for dates.

For more information on FESH programming, please reach out to Valerie at valeries@soundgenerations.org

It’s an exciting time at the Sno-Valley Senior Center! If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at kiraa@soundgenerations.org or 425-333-4152.

Kira Avery, Executive Director

Directors letter – January 2023

Happy New Year! I am excited to be writing my first ever Director’s Letter for the Sno-Valley Senior Center Newsletter! First, I want to say thank you to our Director Emeritus, Lisa Yeager. She has been a strong leader and a great mentor to me. Lisa will be at Sno-Valley though June 2023, shepherding the Affordable Senior Apartment project, and working on grant writing.

A little bit about me; I’ve been at the Sno-Valley Senior Center since March 2015 as the Program Coordinator, and then as the Assistant Director starting in June 2021. I live in Auburn with my husband of over 8 years, Ben, and we’re hoping to add a puppy to the family soon. I enjoy puzzles, board games, and True Crime Podcasts (which help me get through the drive to and from work).

As we reflect on the past year and look forward to 2023, I’m encouraged to be sharing with you some of our
accomplishments from the past year, and goals for 2023.

• In 2022, we served over 11,000 hot, made-from-scratch lunches for dine-in and pick-up.
• We delivered 3,614 frozen Meals on Wheels, helping 30 local, homebound seniors and their families receive
  regular deliveries of nutritious food (this is more than we have ever delivered, and almost double what we
  delivered last year).
• 130 individual volunteers have given over 8,000 hours of their time
• 1,187 individuals have come through the Sno-Valley Senior Center for services or to participate in programming.

We are currently in the process of hiring a new Program Coordinator, and excited to be bringing on a new team member in 2023. We should have more information to share about the senior housing project in the new year as well, in terms of funding and building timeline.

I hope you’ll join us for the Annual Member Meeting on Wednesday, January 11 at 12:30pm. At this meeting you’ll get to discuss with Board Members, your priorities and questions for the Sno-Valley Senior Center, learn about the goals for 2023 and how we ended 2022. This meeting will be held in-person and you can call 425-333-4152 to sign-up for lunch that day. This is also a chance to learn more and meet our newest Board Members, Carole Teshima and Nancy Gass.

As a reminder, we have made the decision to serve Community Dining Meals for dine-in only starting January 3. Serving meals to-go was a wonderful service we were able to offer during the pandemic, however due to the cost of the containers and time constraints as we start to serve more meals, we decided to take this step. If you have a meal ordered for dine-in and an issue arises which will cause you to be late, please let us know and we will work with you.

Thank you for being a part of this wonderful community! The programs and services we offer would not be possible without all of our wonderful volunteers, donors, and participants!

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at kiraa@soundgenerations.org or 425-333-4152.

Kira Avery, Executive Director