Progress is moving along at 1222 W. 2nd Avenue and demo has almost wrapped up. The next phases of the project will involve installing the columns that will add the needed support to the trusses. These pillars will go down the middle of the building and alongside the western exterior wall.
We are very excited to see the finished look of the space and the new open quality we will be keeping. The upper ceiling area will remain open with galvanized piping to make the space fresh and inviting with a modern appeal. Our seniors deserve only the best and we are going to take every opportunity to provide them with that. The other exciting development is in the back half of the building where walls have been removed to make space for the new freezer! We are very excited to have been donated a large walk in freezer which will house our meals, reducing greatly in storage fees and staff time. This change will alleviate costs and allow us to focus these funds on new and exciting programs for our seniors and enhance the ones currently in place.
0 Comments
To mark the starting point of construction, staff and Board Members smashed up some walls in the Mid City Concerns Senior Center. Interior walls are marked for demolition to make room for support columns going down the length of the building. This will not only ensure the building will be safe for years to come but also open the space allowing for larger gatherings and a more connected feel. The Senior Center will have more options for space usage and an opportunity to revive the space. We look at this project much like a home remodel. To our members this is their second home and we want to make it the best possible home for them with improvements to enhance their experience at Mid-City Concerns. Board President, Kim Lloyd of Washington Trust Bank, Vice-President, Shaun Greer of Lukins & Annis, Board Members Josh Terris of Band Construction and Dave Skinfill of Spokane Restaurant Equipment joined the staff to take a sledgehammer to the walls, saving General Contractor Bouten Construction some manual labor! This renovation will not only open up the Senior Center but will also bring a new look and feel to the operations side of the building. Plans are underway to increase the efficiency of the organization and make the overall experience even more improved for volunteers. Interested in joining us in this building project? Visit us online at www.mowspokane.org/building to find out how you can help us raise the roof! In October 2019, Mid-City Concerns, discovered a failed roof truss in the facility occupied by Mid-City Senior Center and Meals on Wheels Spokane. The necessary temporary repairs where completed promptly following the discovery, providing sufficient time for the structural engineers to evaluate the overall condition of the facility. After much planning, budgeting, and discussions, Meals on Wheels Spokane will be moving forward on the building project. Thanks to the diligence of an amazing design team, they are able to push forward the timeline in order to coincide it with the closure of Mid-City Concerns Senior Center (currently closed due to Coronavirus). While seniors are staying home and healthy, the construction will begin and thus allowing a happy return to the Center sooner. During construction, the staff of Meals on Wheels Spokane will be temporarily changing locations to the Southside Senior Center. This decision was based on the keeping the volunteers and staff safe and feeling comfortable. The graciousness of Southside Senior Center in opening their facilities is deeply appreciated and showcases the amazing spirit of community partnerships in Spokane. The frozen meal delivery model will be adopted in order to allow operations and deliveries to continue throughout as well as the welfare checks and practices in place to combat social isolation. Repairs will begin the week of July 13th by Bouten Construction, a company very familiar with nonprofit projects and strong supporter of the Spokane community. While the majority of the project is self-funded, there is a capital campaign to help raise funds to cover costs above and beyond what the Capital Investment funds have covered. The overall goal for our “Foundations for Tomorrow” campaign is $100.000 to meet budgetary demands. More information on this campaign and the project can be found online at www.mowspokane.org/building. The death of your spouse is an incredibly hard time, as you’re going to deal with feelings of deep sadness, loneliness, grief, isolation, and even depression. While you’re going through the toughest period of your life, there are also final arrangements to consider. Dealing with this massive loss is made even more stressful when there is strife between the family. Here are some tips to help you avoid family conflict during this difficult time. Consult the will as soon as possible The easiest way to resolve any sort of familial conflict after your spouse passes is to consult their will/testament. Not only will this clear up questions about their estate (which will come into play later), but many will documents include instructions about funeral arrangements, burial desires, etc. Without clear instructions from the deceased, families can easily resort to arguments over the wishes of your spouse. Here’s a good guide on the steps you should take when dealing with a final will. Never ever judge anyone’s grief (including your own!) Everyone grieves in their own way. As the person who lost your husband or wife, you may feel like you need to “hold it together” for the sake of your family. Denying yourself natural grieving is detrimental to your health. Never be self-conscious of your sadness. Embrace it as a natural part of the process. On the flip side, always do what you can to never judge anyone else’s grief. You children may experience the loss in a different manner than you - it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t feel it as much. It’s vital that everyone gives each other the benefit of the doubt during this trying time. Focus on your own mental and physical wellness Grief is a tricky beast, and it can do a real number on our overall health. Sometimes it’s easy to put your health on the backburner while you deal with everything involved in the aftermath of your spouse’s death. But one of the best things you can do for you and your family is to make sure you focus on your mental and physical wellness during this trying time. It helps to think about it in this way. In order to stay healthy while grieving, focus on avoiding these three things: isolation, unhealthy behaviors, and inactivity. Force yourself to talk to someone - whether it be your child, your sibling, a friend, a church counselor, or even a professional. Do everything you can to avoid taking the “easy” way out and using unhealthy things like alcohol or overeating to help you cope with the loss. Finally, try to do something enjoyable every day. Do not feel guilty for wanting to experience happiness following the loss of your spouse. It’s what they would want for you. Here are some more suggestions on how to deal with grief in a healthy way. Above all else, remember to communicate There should be no secrets, reserved feelings, or hesitation to discuss delicate matters among you, your children, your spouse’s family, and other close relatives involved in the aftermath of your loss. The best way to ensure that there is some sort of conflict is failure to communicate. “Communication (or lack thereof) can be a key issue that leads to conflict. If a plan isn’t made for who, when, and how certain things will be handled, it is not uncommon for one person to go rogue. Communicating isn’t always easy, but it is crucial to reducing conflict. If at all possible, make a plan right away for how and when things will be handled,” says WhatsYourGrief.com. The death of a spouse is devastating to say the least, and as inappropriate as it may seem, family conflict often follows a loved one’s passing. While it’s a difficult time for everyone involved, keep the things discussed in this article in mind to help prevent things from being worse than they have to be. Photo Credit: Pixabay.com By: Jackie WatersMeals on Wheels is known for providing hot, nutritional meals for home bound seniors. However, not as many people know that Meals on Wheels also provides pet food for the seniors who have furry friends at home.
Twice a month the Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver pet food to the homes of our seniors. Like everything in a non-profit, Meals on Wheels depends on donations in order to insure that the pets are taken care of as well. This past Saturday, June 24th, Windermere North organized a pet food drive in order to raise food for local pets. Wandermere Animal Hospital, Mt. Spokane Vet Hospital, and Banfield Vet Hospital also pitched in, serving as drop off sites for the donations. With the help of many volunteers and generous donars, Windermere North collected cat litter, dry dog food, and canned and dry cat food, which totaled over $2,000 in value. Thanks to all of these efforts, the pets and seniors of Meals on Wheels Spokane, will be provided with nutritional meals. Today, some of Spokane’s favorite seniors — members of the Mid-City Concerns Senior Center — will celebrate their fourth annual prom.
Richard, a member of the center and decorator extraordinaire, has been working over the past couple of weeks to decorate the center with a Mardi Gras theme. The budget for decorations came directly from the donations from members of the center, Richard said. Last year, however, he paid for all of them out of pocket. Richard, now 70, was 55 when he first became a Mid-City Concerns member and has been decorating for holidays like Christmas, Easter and Halloween ever since. Scaling ladders and decorating the center for each special occasion is something he enjoys the most. “It makes me happy to see people enjoy the decorations,” he said. By 10 a.m. yesterday, Richard had most of the decorations up as he awaited Rebecca and Jolene, the daughter and granddaughter of another member, to arrive to help with balloons and table cloths. They normally help with bingo, but offered their time to help set up for prom, too. Since the last prom was also Mardi Gras themed, Richard was able to use his budget to make the decorations more elaborate. All of the tables will have purple cloths draped over them with purple flowers and tea lights at the center. “It’s going to look good,” Richard said. Sue Hines of Personal Touch Florals, who recently helped raise money for MOW Spokane through a Mother’s Day fundraiser, donated mini bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages for the prom. Her volunteer group Petals for Peace helped to put all of the arrangements together. At 10 a.m., local classic rock band Diminishing Faculties will begin performing as seniors adorned with masks dance, take photos and enjoy donated snacks amid strobe lights and hanging streamers. The band performs at the center monthly and the lead singer’s mother is a member. Fridays are usually the center’s busiest day, with around 45 seniors coming for lunch, Senior Center Manager Juli Adams said. Members from the recently closed down Silver Cafe senior center were also invited and several have already RSVPed they are going, she added. Partway through the band’s set, two prom kings and two prom queens will be crowned from a random drawing. Richard is especially excited for their crowning, as the crowns themselves have seen an upgrade this year. The festivities won’t interrupt daily lunch, which will be served as usual at 11:30 a.m. with an extra dash of joy. By Jared Brown Meals on Wheels Spokane is known for its meal delivery service for seniors with limited mobility, however MOW’s Senior Center, located downtown, provides hot meals and a retreat for the 60 and up community.
The Mid-City Concerns Senior Center, open five days a week, has been around since 1967. Many of the members are living alone and have income below the poverty line. For $25 per year, members receive meals, a saved spot at dining tables, medical attention from nurses and access to internet and TV, among other services. “It’s cheap,” said Dewayne, a Mid-City Concerns member. For Dewayne, who is homeless, the center is a place of refuge and security. He normally sleeps outside if it’s warm enough, but with the harsh winter this year he’s stayed predominantly at the Spokane House of Charity or bus plaza downtown. "Usually I'll stay out on the street,” he said. “It's been too cold for me." He has frostbite on his feet from the wet and cold conditions this winter. "The longest I've been homeless my entire life is right now, the last two and a half years,” he said. Right now Dewayne only gets 1/3 pay from Social Security because they think he falls under early retirement, but since he lost all his forms of ID he can’t prove he’s actually 66. He said he doesn’t know what he’d do without the senior center, but it gives him a chance to relax and take his mind off of his worries. “They’re a great deal to me,” he said. Another member named Larry is reliant on food stamps to supplement what he can receive from MOW. And Bruce, also a member, went on disability when he was young, so he’s had to learn how to be thrifty if he can’t work. “I’m real grateful for this community,” Larry said. Along with the other seniors, he said the staff is very social. Executive Director Mollie Dalpae is another friendly face that often takes the time to interact with the seniors. The staff remembers birthdays and goes above and beyond in all areas, Larry said. The program is a “gift from God” he said as he teared up. “Without this place I’d be dead,” a member named Darlene joked. Having somewhere to go during the day is very important for keeping the soon-to-be 89-year-old active. The social aspect of the center is a huge benefit to member Bruce Dietz, where without it he’d be isolated in his apartment. Recently he had a bad cold and had to stay home where things were monotonous and lonely. Bruce and Larry, along with their friend Don, come three days a week to play bingo and cards together. One of the biggest events at the center is bingo three times a week. Darlene, regarded as one of the best bingo players, plays with 14 bingo cards. She used to play with 24, but there is one woman who plays with as many as 30. The game takes a lot of concentration and the whole center gets very competitive, she said. Members all agreed that it was nice to possibly win a little money while simultaneously having fun. Larry said the staff makes sure each of the seniors is happy and they’re conscientious about their well-being, shown in one way through the healthy meals. “The meals are pretty doggone wholesome,” Bruce said, adding that otherwise he’d be stuck with his microwave and frozen food. Nurses come every week and take blood pressure and offer immunizations, Darlene said. “This is the best senior center,” she said. It offers the best price and most benefits. Darlene has been coming to Mid-City Concerns since before it relocated to 2nd Avenue over 10 years ago. “I wouldn’t even look for another one,” she said. “We’re family here.” Larry said Mid-City Concerns is “much more inclusive” than other centers. Most of the seniors live in close proximity to the center, so it really is microcosm of the downtown senior community. Larry walks across the street from his apartment nearby; much of the low-income housing run by the Spokane Housing Authority is close by Mid-City Concerns. Bruce, on the other hand, is one of the few seniors that drives, but the commute shows how much the center means to him. “It’s 10 stars brother,” Larry said. By Kiki Serantes Mollie Dalpae was not even in grade school when she started volunteering with her grandmother, who belonged to the nonprofit Sunshine Club. The club provided services to what they referred to as "shut-ins," assisting community members in convalescent homes.
"That was at a time when convalescent homes were really pretty bad," Mollie said, referring to the noted poverty the homes faced. "I learned a lot about caring for other people." Young Mollie would travel to the homes with the ladies of the Sunshine Club, checking on the residents while bringing them food and blankets — much like Meals on Wheels Spokane does today. "I know, though, that [giving back to the community was a part of life," Mollie said. "That's just what you did." Being raised by and volunteering with her grandma inspired Mollie to be an active social servant in the community decades later. Though she was content, life changed for Mollie after her grandmother passed away. "I didn't have an elderly person in my life — I felt so lost and empty," Mollie said. She was studying at San Jose State University to become a wine chemist when she discovered the field of gerontology. "I was like 'I can get a degree in something that is such an important part of my life?' " Mollie said. She immediately switched majors after the realization and has dedicated her life to intergenerational service ever since. It would take her nine years to graduate, but she has not regrets. Mollie has advanced the Meals on Wheels Spokane mission and its services for almost 10 years. In fact, the program's 2017 50th anniversary doubles as Mollie's 10th anniversary as its director. "People hear about Meals on Wheels Spokane and they think food — we bring food, but we do so much more," Mollie said. "We provide blankets in the winter, fans in the summer. We have the pen-pal program, we have Friend-to-Friend and we have a pet food program." Mollie will expand Meals on Wheels Spokane services even more come January, when they plan to roll out an educational engagement program. The program will provide the opportunity for visiting nurses, pharmacy students, and occupational and physical therapists to visit homebound seniors, as well as work directly on-site in the senior center. "Do we feed them? Absolutely, and it's delicious good," Mollie said. "But we really work hard to make sure they're in their home safely and that they know we care about them." As far as the future goes — Mollie is eager to tackle potential challenges and keep growing the program. "I don't do well with maintaining — I like change," Mollie said. "I like to see what else is out there we can do." Mollie said expansion of services is based on annual surveys sent out to seniors. She's a huge advocate for fostering community connections. If another Spokane nonprofit already offers services in a requested area, Mollie refers clients to them rather than spearheading new programs internally. Without federal funding, a vital focus for Mollie as director is growing Meals on Wheels Spokane's endowment. The endowment will directly help seniors like Helen, whose life was nearly saved by Meals on Wheels Spokane volunteers when they found her lying on her kitchen fall after a nasty fall that broke her bones. When Mollie asked Helen if she was scared, the senior's response both surprised and comforted her. "She said 'No, I just looked at my clock and I knew my girls — how she would refer to her volunteers — would be here at 11:30," Mollie said. "It's comforting to know that we're going to bring you a meal and that we'll see you that day," she said. "But how sweet that she didn't panic, she wasn't afraid. What comfort we gave her knowing that we'd be there—her 'girls.' " Mollie encourages all who are able to volunteer--not only because of the joy it brings to the seniors, but because of the meaning it brings to the lives of the volunteers as well. By Kiki Serantes For Donna and Bob Boyd, volunteering with Meals on Wheels Spokane is a couple's affair. The two have helped MOW Spokane homebound seniors for more than two decades, and still haven't managed to get sick of each other after being married 31 years.
"He's my best friend, I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else," Donna said. For Donna, volunteering with MOW Spokane is more than a couple thing—it's a family tradition. Her dad started helping with deliveries back in the '70s, when meals were still prepared at Gonzaga University. "Volunteering at Meals on Wheels Spokane was a natural for me," she said. The couple met at Avista when it was still Washington Water Power. Donna had worked there for just under a decade before Bob was hired on and the rest is history. "We met each other, dated for about a year and a half, and fell in love and got married," Donna said. After the couple had been married for about a year, they decided it would be best if Donna stayed home rather than continue working. "Then I could travel with him on business trips and volunteer and do some things that I'd always wanted to do," Donna said. At first, Bob would sub for volunteer drivers here and there, considering he still had a full-time job. It seems like together, the two make quite the dynamic volunteering duo. "I'd drive and she deliver," Bob said matter of factly, but with a smile on his face. It was enough of a working partnership that the couple stills enjoys volunteering decades later, while looking forward to their weekly Friday date nights. "I was involved for almost 10 years before he retired," Donna said. "He and I have been volunteering for the better part of 20 years." For 17 of the 20 years that Bob was involved with Meals on Wheels Spokane, he coordinated the volunteers from their church. The couple still has a five-pound coordination binder as proof of their history with MOW Spokane. Among many achievements, Bob was able to get Meals on Wheels Spokane going at Avista. Advancing Meals on Wheels Spokane to Avista made finding volunteers at times when subs were needed extremely easier. As far as the Boyds are concerned, they plan on volunteering with MOW Spokane for as long as they'll let them. They said that one of the greatest feelings of all is knowing that you're there for someone who may not have any other social interactions throughout the day. "You knew that when you're delivering the meals to the seniors, who often can't even leave their homes, that that might be the only good meals they've eaten the whole day," Bob said. The Boyd's story and love perfectly resonates with the MOW Spokane upcoming Cinn-A-Gram fundraiser. Goodie bags filled with two fresh Cinnabons, Roast House coffee, Moon Creek caramel, Dove chocolates, Red River Golden Trail Mix and a mug are purchased and delivered with a special message to your Valentine. If buying a Cinn-A-Gram isn't enough for your Valentine, then offer the gift of becoming MOW Spokane's next volunteer legacy couple. To learn more about Cinn-A-Gram or how to volunteer, email us at [email protected]. By Kiki Serantes
For more than 50 years, local firefighters have brought holiday cheer to Spokane families by dashing through neighborhoods on Santa's sleigh. But Spokane Firefighter Union IAFF Local 29 will lend the sleigh's use in a giving light when five volunteers dash through the snow delivering presents and hot meals to seniors in need this week.
Equipped with a professional Santa Claus and a sleigh attached to a flatbed Chevy, Spokane Firefighter Union IAFF Local 29 is delivering hot meals on Wednesday, Dec. 14 around noon and presents on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 11AM. It's the third year in a row that the unit is helping bring holiday cheer to Meals on Wheels Spokane homebound seniors. Dave Kovak, a 19-year Spokane firefighter, joined the unit four years ago. After hearing colleagues' stories, Dave said he's excited to participate in the annual event for the first time. "It's a really neat event, to watch their faces when we come up," Dave said. "They're expecting their usual Meals on Wheels Spokane delivery, but they're not expecting it from Santa. It really makes their day." The presents being delivered are part of MOW Spokane's Tree of Sharing event, where each senior is asked what they want for Christmas months before the holiday. MOW Spokane, which doesn't receive federal funding, surprises the seniors with the gifts they wished for. Having a gift delivered by a normal deliverer is good enough, but having it delivered by Santa Claus himself is something else entirely. "We've been a contributor to Meals on Wheels Spokane for quite a while," Dave said. "We're always looking for events that we can partner with local charities in, to just get out into the community and to be a good community partner." The union also participates in MOW Spokane's annual Cinn-A-Gram fundraiser, where people throughout Spokane and Coeur d'Alene purchase a Cinn-A-Gram stuffed with Cinnabons, Roast House Coffee, Rock Creek Caramels, Dove Chocolate and more! MOW Spokane delivers the treats to the purchaser’s Valentine’s and Spokane Firefighter Union IAFF Local 29 helps by delivering some of the Cinn-A-Grams on various routes. MOW Spokane thanks Spokane Firefighter Union IAFF Local 29 for its continued contributions. If you're interested in volunteering or learning more about this and other MOW Spokane events, please email [email protected] or call (509) 232-0864. |
Archives
August 2020
Categories |