Director's Message - September 2025

We are thrilled to have finally completed our Walk of Fame! This has been years in the making. This is guaranteed to be one feature of our building that will survive upcoming capital improvement projects!

​Thank you to everyone who attended our End of Summer BBQ! It was a fantastic success, and everyone had a great time. We welcomed over 120 attendees, and the place was packed! The Rusty Barbed Wire Boys wowed the crowd with their nearly nonstop performance—what a talented group! We’re so lucky to count them among our friends. There were giant outdoor games (played indoors!) like horseshoes, ring toss, and tic-tac-toe, to name a few. Kids as young as one and adults as old as—well, let’s just say there were adults—joined in the fun together. A group of our local Applarians stepped up as grill masters, serving up delicious hamburgers and hot dogs. We also enjoyed Debbie’s famous potato salad and wrapped up the day with ice cream sundaes for dessert. A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this event a success—from board members and employees to our dedicated membership volunteers. What a wonderful way to say goodbye to summer

Lisa Blair
WVSAC Ecec. Director

Looking Ahead: Big Giving Week. Our next major event is Big Giving Week, and yes—it’s exactly what it sounds like! In the lead-up to October 13, we’ll be encouraging local businesses, community members, and our membership to make a financial pledge or contribution to our Building Fund. During the week of October 13–17, we’ll hold daily raffles for themed gift baskets. The size of your donation will determine which baskets your tickets are applied to, and each day, a new winner will be drawn. We’re still finalizing the details, but everything will be laid out in the October newsletter. The week will culminate with a Homecoming Dance on Saturday, October 18, where we’ll celebrate with music, dancing, and fun! All donors, members, and the public are invited, and we’ll raffle off the Grand Prize Basket at the end of the evening. We’re making great progress on our Building Expansion—soon to surpass the $400,000 milestone—and we continue to work toward our $1,000,000 goal. If you’ve already contributed, please know that our gratitude is endless.

A New Name, A Broader Vision. As you may know, our fundraising campaign goes hand-in-hand with a change in our name. We’re striving to become a multicultural and multigenerational center while still honoring and serving the demographic that forms our foundation. As Russ, our Communications Director, wisely noted, we’re already multigenerational. Today, three generations of seniors use our center—ranging from the World War II generation to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Our members span from under age 50 to over 100! By expanding our thinking and making small adjustments, we can become more inclusive and increase our eligibility for grants. Change is inevitable—it’s how we embrace it that defines us. By preparing for change, we give ourselves the power to shape it. This name change, and the redefinition of our identity, reflects who we are and where we’re headed. Our updated mission statement will mirror this shift. We’ve had many conversations with members, offering opportunities to ask questions and better understand the reasoning behind these changes. By the time this newsletter is published, we’ll have reviewed over 300 name suggestions, bringing us closer to a new identity that reflects our entire community.

Our Second Chance Thrift Store needs your help. In the past, we partnered with a company that picked up unsellable clothing donations—items that didn’t meet our quality standards or simply couldn’t fit in our store. That company has gone out of business and we’re now overwhelmed with clothing we can't sell. Other local thrift stores are facing the same challenge, so we can’t pass items on to them either. To address this, Shannon, our thrift store manager, asks that clothing donations be limited to items that are clean and free of tears, stains, or excessive wear. Your support is greatly appreciated, and we kindly ask you to spread the word to anyone who donates on our behalf. Your generosity keeps our doors open—we are truly thankful.

New No-Smoking Policy Enforcement. You may have noticed new “No Smoking” signs at our entrances. While it’s long been illegal to smoke within 25 feet of public building entrances, enforcement here has been relaxed—until recently. Cigarette butts were found in the wells leading to the crawl space beneath our building. These areas often fill with dry leaves and debris, posing a serious fire hazard. A single spark could have resulted in a devastating loss. For everyone’s safety, we will now strictly enforce the no-smoking law. If cigarette butts continue to be found on campus grounds, we’ll have no choice but to implement a campus-wide no-smoking policy. We understand this may affect a small portion of our membership, but we hope you understand the reasoning. Thank you for your cooperation.

In Closing: Heartfelt Thanks. This may have been a message full of updates and change, but I want to end on a note of appreciation. To all our volunteers: thank you. You are the heart of this community. Your time, energy, and generosity never go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for all that you do. To honor all volunteers community-wide, together with the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council and AmeriCorps, the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center will be hosting the Annual Volunteer Recognition event on October 23, from 2-3 p.m. in the Social Hall. We would like to see all our volunteers at this event, so save the date!

Have a beautiful fall, and please be extra mindful of children around local schools now that the school year is back in full swing.

~ Lisa

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