Needs
The Auburn Senior Center (founded in 1980) has faced seemingly insurmountable challenges in recent years.
That hasn’t slowed the determination
of their staff and Executive Director Lindsay Arfsten to continue to provide
quality services to the growing number of seniors in the Auburn area.
After losing their home at the Dewitt Center where they had resided for many
years, the Senior Center eventually found new premises at Heritage Oak Place in
Auburn. No longer subsidized, this move came at a considerable cost with rent
increasing from a few dollars to $48,000 a year for premises with a much lower
capacity.
Grants are not an option as, although they provide important services to the
health and welfare of our older residents, the Center does not feed and house
seniors. At present, they are not supported by the County and do not receive
government assistance.
The maximum number of members the Senior Center can serve at Heritage Oak
Place is only 500. This capacity would not have worked prior to the pandemic
when the Center was forced to close. Pre-Covid, the Center served 850 members.
They currently have 300 members, a 65% drop.
The Auburn Senior Center is working hard to re-build their membership and
raise funds to cover overhead and operating costs.
To remain the relevant and vibrant community organization they’ve been for
over forty years, it’s imperative the Senior Center continues to provide affordable
membership fees and classes for retirees with fixed incomes. Membership is $25
a year, per person, and only $40 for couples. The cost of classes and workshops
are also kept low at around $5. These range from art, cooking, aerobics and line
dancing to disaster preparedness, computer skills, avoiding ID theft and more.
Well-attended fundraising events such as the Taste of the Foothills, Big Day of
Giving, and their new FAM (Food, Art, Music) FEST cover many operating costs –
but not their massive increase in rent.
Without the support of the greater Auburn area community, the Center is projected to
close in just two years. Their SAVE OUR SENIOR CENTER CAMPAIGN asks
businesses and residents to help keep the Center open by either making a one time donation thru BDOG or going to their website and enrolling in their Sponsorship program. The Center is campaigning for ongoing monthly donations to fund their rent
of $4,000 per month in order to keep the doors open for the future. There are varying levels of tax-deductible sponsorships. For
more information on how to help, contact Lindsay Arfsten at (530) 823-8172.