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closeSumner seniors see better meals, new class
Study conducted on the Sumner Senior Center prompts changes in meals, classes and maybe other areas in the future
Roxanne Cooke
For 10 years, Marion Hawkins has volunteered regularly at the Sumner Senior Center.
She’s seen its ups and downs throughout the years, including what she calls a decrease in food quality when Catholic Community Services began providing meals to the center in July 2004.
The seniors who frequent the Sumner Senior Center prefer meals focused around meat, potatoes and other vegetables, Hawkins said. Instead, Catholic Community Services served mainly pasta and rice — too much starch.
But things have changed in the past year or so after a study was conducted by the city, she said.
“Now (the meals are) beginning to improve,” Hawkins said. “They’re not perfect but they’re getting better.”
Attendance at the center has increased as a result of the study, which was completed last August. Primary findings included a need for fresh food, more advertising and computer classes.
In June 2007, 1,262 seniors visited the center, said Linda Clerget, senior services program coordinator. This June, that number jumped to 1,313. Last May, 1,371 seniors visited; this May turned up 1,425.
“Our numbers are coming up, so that’s a good thing,” Clerget said.
The city of Sumner directed Community Development intern David Lacy to conduct the study. Lacy has a bachelor’s degree in social work. For the study, he interviewed seniors who attend the Sumner Senior Center, asking what they liked and disliked and what could be improved.
Based on his results, Lacy recommended the senior center serve more meals cooked from scratch. Seventy-three percent of seniors at the center said they would prefer meals made from fresh ingredients and 14 percent rated the center’s food as “poor.” Fifty-five percent of those in the study said they would attend more frequently if a salad bar option were available.
Catholic Community Services recently relocated to Lakewood from Tacoma and can now deliver fresh ingredients rather than send processed food, Clerget said.
“Our meals have improved greatly,” she said.
The center hasn’t put in a salad bar because of cost, she said. It’s still an item on the back burner, though.
“The way things are right now, things are just kind of tough,” Clerget said. “(But) it’s not out of the question.”
Transportation to and from the center was another item seniors focused on, with 49 percent reporting they would use it if it were provided. Unfortunately, there isn’t funding for that either, Clerget said. Seniors have the option to attend day trips twice a month, and those usually sell out. But the driver only works part-time.
In addition to meals and transportation, seniors wanted a computer class at the center, according to the study. A basic computer operation class was added within the last month. Six-week sessions are available but limited to four seniors per class. There’s a waiting list for the next session.
“Something that the seniors really wanted was computer classes,” Clerget said.
Additional advertising through Sumner’s Community Connection newsletter and the city Web site have helped bring in more seniors and draw more attention that the center exists, she said. The center also hosted the distribution of vouchers for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program in June, which helped bring in seniors who normally wouldn’t visit. Some even stayed for lunch.
“In general, we’ve gotten the word out more that we are here,” Clerget said. “It seems like we’ve gotten more awareness that we’re here.”
The Sumner Senior Center holiday bazaar made a successful comeback last December, thanks to extra advertising to find vendors; there were so many who wanted to participate that some had to be turned down. Already this year a vendor has called to sign up months in advance.
“The main reason last year’s was so successful was the extra advertising we did,” Clerget said.
Because the senior center saw a decline in visits from 2004 to last year, Community Development Director Paul Rogerson hired Lacy to see what could be changed. Over time and within city budget constraints, the center will continue implementing ideas from the study, Rogerson said.
But Hawkins is at least one senior who plans to stick around.
“I’ve been coming 10 years,” she said. “I don’t think I’m going to drop out now.”
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SUMNER SENIOR CENTER
For more information on events and classes hosted by the Sumner Senior Center, call 253-863-2910.