Fun for all ages: Moses Lake Senior Center not just for seniors
The Danny Herman Band plays for a dance Monday at the Moses Lake Senior Center. The four members, from left are: Bob Meyer on keyboard, Dan Beich on saxophone, Ron Sawyer on trumpet and George Twigg as the drummer.
Rebecca Pettingill/Columbia Basin Herald
Muriel Hanson smiles as she is spun around by Jesse Humpherys.
From left, Phil O’Neill, Joe Bass, Mary Harrington, Genie Wehling, Ron Sawyer and Gord Radom mingle at the dance.
Harold Boyer, left, bows to Genie Wehling, right, after a dance together.
MOSES LAKE — Despite the name, the Moses Lake Senior Center isn’t just for seniors – it’s for the whole community – and is bursting with activities throughout the month.
Despite the shutdown of activities at various places in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, senior center leaders didn’t let it stop them from serving food. Throughout some times, it stopped activities and in-person dining, but offered take-out and delivery. It finally reopened for in-person lunches in July 2021 and rebooted its activities shortly thereafter.
Corie Otto, a staff member at the Moses Lake Senior Center, said there were just more than 1,800 delivery lunches in September, with 390 meals in person. She said delivery meals have always been in higher demand, but have gone up since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The lunches are $4.50 per senior or $8 for those younger than 60 and there’s no charge for delivery. All meals come with a main dish, vegetable, fruit and dessert. They also come with milk or buttermilk, coffee, or tea. Some of the main dishes on the menu next week include lasagna, French dip sandwiches and chicken Alfredo.
A board director for the senior center, Harold Boyer, said the center encourages young people to participate in the center’s activities because young people are the future and bring a lot of joy to the senior center members. Part of the senior center’s purpose statement says “Giving new hope and new life, opportunity and activities for all ages.”
The center just had one of its regular Monday night dances and there were about two dozen people. While not everyone danced, there were plenty of tables for mingling and eating. The center provides light refreshments at each dance. The Monday night dance entry fee is $2 per person, which pays for the live band.
The senior center has other activities throughout the month, such as exercise classes five days a week, bingo, pinochle on Tuesdays and Thursdays, needle crafters, Coffee Club and pool tournaments. There is also a country dance from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Attendees can show up at 5 p.m. and eat dinner served by the center. The dance is free, but dinner is $5 a plate. The live band for the night will be the Memory Lane Country Band, and families are invited.
For more information on the Moses Lake Senior Center, call 509-765-7809.
Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.
