Executive Director's Message - November 2025

The Community Action Council has been delivering weekly donations to us from Costco, supplementing our lunch program.

T​his month’s Director’s Message is going to look a little different than usual. Typically, I share updates about past and upcoming events at the Senior Center. But with Thanksgiving upon us — and following our recent Big Giving Week — I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the many individuals, businesses and organizations that keep us going strong.

Lisa Blair
Executive Director

These generous folks show up for us time and again, often behind the scenes, and many of our members may not even realize how much they do. So, in the spirit of gratitude and with a desire to spotlight their efforts, let the thanks begin!

Jerry Garcia, The Window Guy: Yes, there is actually someone who puts up the Christmas lights on our building every year — and does it entirely out of the goodness of his heart. Jerry donates his time and service during a busy season, then returns to take them down after the holidays. We are so grateful for his cheerful generosity.

Wayne, from the U.S. Post Office: Wayne assists me every month with the mailing of our newsletter. He is kind, helpful and eager to help us do whatever we can to save money on our mailing. If I have questions, he is quick to assist and always goes the extra mile. I am so happy I get to work with him each month.

North Cascades Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.: If there is ever an issue with our heating or air conditioning, I hear about it first — and North Cascades is the first call I make. They respond quickly, work efficiently and make sure our facility stays comfortable, whether it is hot or cold. They have even worked overtime to keep our refrigerator running smoothly, ensuring your meals stay safe and fresh. We deeply appreciate their dedication.

Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council: Lonnie Walls, Alan Walker and everyone involved with the Community Action Council are simply amazing. They are kind, generous and always ready to lend a hand when needed. They are also the reason we receive weekly Costco donations, which make a big difference for our lunch program. We are incredibly thankful for their ongoing support and their inspiring commitment to the community.

Master Gardeners and Al Murphy: When you drive into the Senior Center parking lot and are greeted by clean, well-maintained landscaping, it is no small part due to the heavy work of Al. Each season he digs out dead trees and shrubs, trims back branches from that dang walnut tree and takes truckload after truckload of debris to the recycler. He is a part of our local Master Gardeners, who do a beautiful job of keeping our front planting area full of beautiful flowers. You may often see one of them out there early in the morning checking the sprinklers, pulling weeds, or adding a new bulb or plant. I am forever grateful for these wonderful people.

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The Master Gardeners of Wenatchee have been instrumental in rebuilding our planting beds with attractive, new foliage.

Linda Barta: “Who is that?” you might ask. Well, she is a retired newsroom staffer from The Wenatchee World who looks over my Director’s Message each month to make sure I am minding my Ps and Qs (quite literally). That message never hits print without Linda checking my work first. If I had not shared my thanks for her with all of you, you would have never known she was in the background keeping me in line. She needs to be acknowledged.

Randy Ogle: We have so many volunteers that keep us going every day and I hope you are all aware of how grateful I am for whatever part you play in that. Every volunteer is equally important to the stability of the Senior Center. I do want to single out Randy, though, because the maintenance he provides for this building is often out of my wheelhouse, especially when it comes to climbing tall ladders or unclogging the hot water dispenser. He saves us time and money on repairs — and he is BRAVE!

Foothills Middle School: This one might surprise you a little, but we have an active relationship with Foothills Middle School and it is especially important. They are our neighbors and we need to work constantly to maintain that relationship. Most of you probably do not know, but we share an irrigation system with them. Although we have our own lines, we cannot turn them on without them first turning on theirs. They coordinate with us every year to make sure all systems are working together properly, and they are so helpful when things do not always run so smoothly. They are also instrumental in helping us host the Holiday Gift Fair, coordinating logistics with us as early as August. If they have issues arise throughout the year they come to us; and if we have issues arise we go to them. Their support is invaluable. We are fortunate to have such good neighbors.

Community Foundation of NCW: If you have not heard of the Community Foundation of NCW, let me introduce them. This philanthropic organization manages charitable donations and distributes funds to nonprofits like ours. They have supported us with grants since 2001 and continue to be a key part of our funding. Their work ensures that resources are responsibly and generously shared with the community. We are incredibly thankful for their ongoing support.

Laura Mounter Real Estate: No, we are not selling the Senior Center. But Laura Mounter and her team do more than sell homes — they give back. They have been known to grace our Senior Center with their team —  trucks, clippers, rakes and smiles at hand — doing fast work at a fall or spring clean-up of our grounds. They are a very giving group, and I am very thankful to all of them.

This Thank You list reflects just a fraction of the many individuals, businesses and organizations that contribute to and enrich the Senior Center. I’m deeply grateful to all who are named here — and to the countless others whose quiet acts of service mean so much.

Now, with Big Giving Week behind us and Thanksgiving just around the corner and after celebrating and being celebrated by our Senior Center family, I encourage each of you to reach out to someone in your life and share your appreciation for the simple gift of their presence.

I know this message is a little long this month, but I do need to take care of a little housekeeping. I’ll be brief, I promise.

There will be a Veterans Day acknowledgement and quilt presentation in the Social Hall on November 7 during lunch. I encourage you to attend and give thanks to our nation’s veterans.

Senior Center Closure Dates for November:

• Holiday Craft Fair:
  • Closing at 1 p.m., Nov. 7
  • Craft Fair & Christmas Shop, Nov. 8
• Veterans Day: Nov. 10
• Thanksgiving:
  • Closing at 1:30 p.m., Nov. 26
  • Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27
  • Post-Thanksgiving, Nov. 28
  • Thrift Shop closed, Nov. 29

~ Lisa