Directors Letter– January 2020
Happy New Year! The new year is a time for both reflection of the past year and looking forward.
In 2019, the Re-In-Carnation Thrift Store moved into the Senior Center where it is doing well under the able leadership of Thrift Store Manager, Angie Hartung. The little house the thrift store inhabited before has wood eating insects and many other structural problems so for safety sake we had to move out. The board has been doing a lot of research on what to do and will make a decision this winter. Right now the scenarios we are looking at are:
– Rebuild in the same footprint and location.
– Build a thrift store with senior housing
– Build something completely different – open up all options – a hall, basketball court, pool, etc.
– Sell the property
You are welcome to provide your feedback. You’ll have a chance to share at our Member meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 12:30 p.m. in the Main Hall. We look forward to your feedback.
We will be doing some strategic planning for the future at our board retreat on Feb. 8th. But to plan for this senior center to continue to thrive and grow, we need to be reaching out to bring in all kinds of people. So 2020 will see more outreach to those who have not come to a senior center before. We will also be offering focused programs in Spanish and for LGBTQ elders. It’s exciting! We’ve hired a new staff person, Valerie Stewart, who will manage the FESH (Far East Senior Hub) which will be doing joint programming with Sno-Valley Senior Center, Mt. Si Senior Center and Issaquah Senior Center. These partnerships are funded by the VSHSL (Veterans Seniors Human Services Levy). This partnership will enable us to grow and meet the need of even more older adults. Look for fun stuff on the horizon!
I love the Sno-Valley Senior Center and I believe in the impact we have on the lives of many. I want to ensure that this wonderful place continues for many, many generations! I don’t have a lot of wealth but I can list the Sno-Valley Senior Center as a beneficiary on my life insurance and in my will which is super easy to do! Some organizations call this simple thing Legacy Giving or Giving that ripples to future generations. A legacy gift can also be a bequest – a gift included in your last will and testament. A bequest can be for a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, and/or a specific piece of property. Here’s a sample: “I bequeath to Sno-Valley Senior Center, a Washington State 501(c)3, tax ID 91-1156586, the sum of $____ (or the description of the asset or ___ % of my estate) for general support purposes.”
“Virtually everyone postpones writing a will. Maybe it’s because we don’t want such a tangible reminder of our mortality. Or perhaps we view the process as relinquishing the ownership of our property. Whatever the excuse may be for putting off the drafting of a will, many people do not realize that writing one actually prevents what is feared. In fact, a will may be the most important document that you ever write, because it allows you to select the persons who will receive what you own when you die. If you don’t have one in place, you cannot select the recipients of your property and the state you reside in will determine how your property is divided.” (from Wilmington Trust website) Do you really want your hard earned life savings or property going to the state?
Feel free to call and share your thoughts anytime to me.
Lisa Yeager, SVSC Director, Lisay@soundgenerations.org , 425-333-4152, ext. 1