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Mid-City Senior Center

Since 1967, the Mid-City Senior Center has been serving the elderly residents of the downtown neighborhoods. The center is open five days a week and provides a warm, inviting, and safe atmosphere for men and women who are predominantly living alone, isolated in apartment rooms, and existing on incomes far below the federal Poverty level. These senior citizens are at risk nutritionally due to inadequate resources to purchase, store, and prepare food. On a daily basis, they cope with inadequate housing, poverty, loneliness, health problems, and a neighborhood beset by drug trafficking and related crime.

Mid-City is the "Center" of these senior's lives. When their apartments are poorly heated and they haven't enough money for food, they come in to get warm and to socialize with their peers in a safe wholesome environment. They receive assistance from a caring staff, trained to help them with problem solving and to make appropriate referrals for other needed services. An addition to the staff, a Senior Advocate, further promotes this cause for independence. Most important, they are treated with respect and kindness---and encouraged to treat each other in the same way.

The Mid-City Senior Center continues providing "hot" lunch meals, five days a week, in cooperation with Spokane County Health District's Senior Nutrition Program. And, breakfasts are provided five days a week. The Senior Center also continues to be a Level II demonstration site for Eastern Washington Area Agency on Aging's new congregate site plan. A Level II site provides services to elderly participants with special needs; including case management, information and referral, educational programs, etc.

The Mid-City Senior Center provides services to over 350 enrolled participants:

• Breakfast five days a week, an average of 40 participants a day.

• Lunch five days a week, an average of 75 participants a day.

• Liquid food supplements for people who are unable to eat solid food.

• Shelf stable meals for use when the Center is not open.

• Social, educational, and recreational activities five days a week.

• Birthday parties, special holiday observances, and field trips.

• Information and referral assistance to social service agencies.

• Assistance in navigating the government system, locating available medical services, filling out forms, and advocacy.

• Empathic and non-judgmental attention.

• All-around nutritional support - 26,000 total meals served.