Two local senior and community centers recently received a share of the King County Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services levy.
According to a May 16 King County press release, 39 total senior centers were granted funds collected via the levy.
Among them were the Enumclaw Senior Center and the Black Diamond Community Center.
The Enumclaw Senior Center received just over $530,000, which Director Melissa Holt said would be used to continue, or bolster, its current programming.
“This includes continuing to provide rural van service to bring seniors to the center to participate in programs and services including lunch, social events, exercise classes, education presentations, and cultural festivities,” she said in an email. “… The Senior Center staff, King County consultants, and volunteers are dedicated to continuing the work we have been doing with VSHS levy funds for the past six years, while remaining open to new ideas and expanding programs to better serve our senior population in the community and help keep our seniors engaged, active and independent.”
It’s much the same story for the Black Diamond Community Center, which while it has many similar activities and events as the Enumclaw Senior Center, also doubles (or triples) as a food bank and also offers financial aid.
The close to $30,000 will be used over the next two years in order to continue partnering with the Maple Valley Community Center and providing seniors with hot meals; the BDCC feeds seniors on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but offers transportation to their neighbor on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
There’s also the “Groceries to Go” program, which provides food, bread, and milk to seniors that can’t drive, offer gas vouchers for seniors so they can get to medical appointments, and numerous health care and preventative wellness programs.
“Our primary mission is to help our seniors live their best life as they age in place,” Director Cheryl Hanson said in an email.
For more information about the Enumclaw Senior Center, head to cityofenumclaw.net/177/Senior-Center.
For the Black Diamond community center, go to blackdiamondcommcenter.org.
