A surplus Metro Transit van was donated last week to the Enumclaw Senior Center to assist the facility in meeting a variety of transportation needs.

Doing the honors Sept. 27 was Reagan Dunn, vice chair of the Metropolitan King County Council. Dunn’s sprawling district takes in the Enumclaw area.

“People don’t realize how much our local senior centers really do,” said Dunn said after presenting the keys to the van to Jobyna Nickum, manager of the Senior Center. “They make an important difference, but so much of what they do is behind-the-scenes.”

The senior center has big plans for its new van. The vehicle is slated to help transport Enumclaw seniors to the center for its lunch program, as well as day trips in the area that enrich older adults’ lives. The van will also transport seniors to important appointments.

“Many Enumclaw seniors need some extra help getting around, so they can take care of the things we all need to do,” Nickum said. The van will help connect area residents to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, banking, and the like. “It’s a relief for them, and it’s a way we can help the community overall,” she added.

The van was previously part of Metro Transit’s vanpool program for commuters.

When the vans reach the end of their service life after at least six years, most are sold, but some are given to worthwhile community organizations.

The Enumclaw Senior Center’s new van will supplement the center’s 15-passenger wheelchair-accessible van and replaces a small van received from the county in 2001.