Directors Letter
September 2020 – SVSC History
Happy 45th Anniversary to the Sno-Valley Senior Center!!! The Sno-Valley Senior Citizens (our
legal name) was incorporated on Sept. 1, 1975. Our specific purpose was “to participate in and work for the elderly in the Lower Snoqualmie Valley area, to eliminate areas of discrimination in all phases of life from which the elderly, and in particular the elderly poor suffer. This shall include but not limited to
projects to meet transportation, educational, charitable and entertainment needs of the elderly.”
We haven’t strayed from that mission in 45 years. As needs have grown in the valley, we’ve grown too. Now we
consistently serve over 1,000 people annually with an increasingly diverse menu of options for older adults to partake in.
I was the Center Director from March 2001 to August 2008 and March 2016 to now. In 2001, we had one Hyde Shuttle to bring people to the Center. Now we have two shuttles. One to go North to Duvall and one to go South to Fall City.
We had less programming then too because we had less space – only the back sitting room with laundry and the main hall. The remodel done around 2011 added five program rooms and restrooms on the second floor. That has vastly increased all the programs we can do simultaneously!
The ADH, Adult Day Health Program, was in the room across from reception. I still miss that program, but it cost the Senior Center around $70,000 annually which wasn’t sustainable. The resilient staff from that program created the Old Friends Club (an Adult Day Care) which meets at Tolt Congregational. I’m glad there’s still an option for caregivers in the Valley.
We had only four staff then: me, a ½ time bookkeeper (Alison McIntosh), a ½ time program coordinator (Kate Miller), and a cook to warm up pre-prepared meals delivered daily from Seattle. Now we have full time bookkeeper/Admin Asst. (Mindie Ribail), a 30-40 hr/week Program Coordinator (Kira Avery), a ½ time social worker (Kelly Fujiwara) and a 30 hr/week chef (Jennifer Berg) who cooks everything from scratch!
Back then, the little white house next to the parking lot was a rental providing a regular income. Then in 2009, a hard working group of volunteers made it into RIC (Re-In-Carnation) Thrift Store. Now RIC is located in the Senior Center because the little white house has structural problems. We hired a ½ time Thrift Store Manager (Angie Hartung). The board is working on a plan for RIC.
In 2019, we won a grant from the VSHSL levy to form a partnership with the Issaquah Senior Center and Mt. Si
Senior Center to increase our programming. This will also provide funds to reach out to caregivers, Hispanic, LGBTQ, and other older adults who could benefit from all the Senior Center offers. Val Stewart was hired as the Hub Coordinator to over see all this.
So you can see we’ve grown so much in the past 45 years from a small hobby club to a vibrant non-profit! There is so much to celebrate!
Will you help us celebrate our 45th Anniversary with a gift of $45 in honor of 45 years? Our goal is 100 people to give $45 for a total of $4,500 to help us continue to provide virtual and live programming during the pandemic. Help us stay strong for another 45 years! You can donate on-line at www.snovalleysenior.org or send a check with the envelope enclosed.
As always if you have any questions, complaints or compliments, I’m here. You can reach me at Lisay@soundgenerations.org or 425-333-4152.