Life

Alpena senior center gearing up for the holidays

ALPENA -- The Alpena Senior Citizens Center has been providing vital services to seniors throughout Alpena County for decades, and they have kept their prices affordable, despite inflation.

Rising costs of food, and supply chain issues over the past several years have made it more challenging, but the senior center will continue to keep costs down and provide services to seniors. They just may need your help.

Providing meals to seniors is one of the primary functions of the center. Last year alone, they served over 71,000 meals, including congregate meals in the dining room, as well as Meals on Wheels taken to Alpena County seniors.

"Just because of increased food costs, and overall costs of life, we're looking at doing some fundraisers here at the senior center," said Annie Hepburn, executive director of the Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Hepburn has been the director for nearly six years.

Their upcoming fundraisers include an online auction from Nov. 1 to 11, and Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29.

BJ Sander, program director at the senior center, is also holding a fundraising challenge with some of her exercise group participants.

"The senior center provides tons of programs, tons of services, for the seniors in Alpena County, 60 years of age and older," Hepburn explained. "We do get grant funding, both state and federal, we do fundraisers -- many of our programs are donation-based."

She explained that 30% of the senior center's funding comes from donations.

In addition to meals, many other activities, programs, and resources are available through the senior center, including exercise classes throughout the week.

Hepburn noted that although the suggested donation for Meals on Wheels remains at $3.50, they are averaging less than $1 per meal in donations, which leaves a funding gap. But the service is imperative for seniors who are shut-in and may not see another person that day, other than their Meals on Wheels driver, who also makes sure they are doing OK and calls for help if they need it.

As for congregate meals, the average donation is about $2.80, Hepburn said.

"With the increase in food costs, it's becoming an issue that we have to deal with," Sander said.

The suggested per meal donation will stay at $3.50, but the center could use more donations to help with those costs.

The senior center's holiday Thanksgiving meal will be offered curbside only from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9. You must reserve your meal in advance by calling 989-356-3585. The cost for this entire Thanksgiving meal is just a suggested donation of $3.50 per senior age 60 and up, or a cost of only $7 for anyone under the age of 60.

The meal includes turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, a roll, vegetable, a brownie, and apple juice.

RSVP for your Thanksgiving meal by Nov. 7.