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Organizers say Central Area Senior Center fundraising near key mark to enable crucial grant

Organizers were closing in on a $55,000 fundraising goal Friday that will help enable the Central Area Senior Center to move into community ownership and open the doors to much needed investment and upgrades.

As of Friday morning, organizers for The Central said they were within $5,000 of the goal to meet a bank balance requirement to receive a $1.5 million grant from the county to move forward with the group’s planned acquisition of the city property so it can continue to manage the facility and provide services and programming to the community.

“By September 1 we must add $55,000 to our bank balance to meet the requirements for this transfer,” Dian Ferguson, director of The Central, said in a statement on the fundraising drive. “We’re asking everyone to support our $55 K Challenge with donations or pledges of 55¢, $155, $555, or more. We are celebrating 55 because that is the age when one becomes a senior. We also celebrate the 55 years of service to seniors in our communities.”

The group is part of an ongoing, often frustrating, multi-year effort to move city centers under community group control.

The $1.5 million grant will help The Central “win full site control,” the group says, and is intended to “bring more African American and African immigrant seniors into these centers.”

The City currently holds the deed to The Central’s 30th Ave S property and the City Council will vote on an ordinance to transfer the deed to the Central this fall, according to the group’s announcement.

If you would like to help push the group up and over the mark for the grant requirement, Or call (206) 726-4926 to make a pledge.

You can learn more at centralareasrcenter.org.

 

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3 Comments
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James
James
4 years ago

Please donate if you care at all about CD community!

RWK
RWK
4 years ago

The Central Area Senior Center is an absolutely gorgeous space, with sweeping views of Lake Washington, the Cascades, and Mt. Rainier. It not only provides needed services to seniors in the area, but it also can be rented out for private functions such as wedding receptions. I’m sure some developer would just love to get his/her hands on it, but that would be a shame.

DS
DS
4 years ago
Reply to  RWK

I dunno. It seems like it would be put to better use if senior housing were built there, with the senior center on the main floor. I am uncomfortable with the idea that the city is giving away property. Why not build affordable housing there and let the senior center have the ground floor in perpetuity? The city is taking (pittance) fees from builders which are supposed to be used to build affordable and low income housing. What a perfect place to do it so seniors could age in their neighborhood.