When the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center opened 15 years ago, Serving Seniors opened the doors with a sense of excitement and high hopes. It was their vision to be the model for a new generation of senior centers. Fifteen years later, Serving Seniors San Diego has accomplished much more than expected.
Serving Seniors celebrated this milestone with Gary and Mary West, the San Diego philanthropists who agreed to provide the $3 million in funding to purchase the building that would be transformed from a shuttered, downtown car dealership to a haven for low-income and homeless older adults.
The Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center has provided services to more than 12,000 older adults – many of whom visit regularly. Three million meals have been served in the center’s dining room.
Once people join for a meal, they learn about other activities, classes, and social events. They receive supportive services from more than 50 collaborative partners including social work, mental health counseling, financial and legal services, and can visit a full-service dental clinic, the only one at any senior center in the U.S.A., also made possible through the support of the Wests and their Foundation.
Delegations from around the world and throughout the country have visited the Wellness Center to learn about their approach and innovative programs and services. The Serving Seniors team remains determined and driven by the same compassion, enthusiasm, and commitment since opening the Wellness Center with the belief they would change lives for the better.
Gary and Mary West’s belief in Serving Seniors’ concept and mission led to their extraordinary gift. Their amazing generosity continues to this day, and the Wests were recently on hand to celebrate this important 15-year milestone and cut the celebratory cake. Both Gary and Mary West regularly serve meals in the dining room; Mary hosts a monthly cooking class, and it is without a doubt our most popular monthly activity.
As people live longer, low income and homeless older adults continue to struggle with their everyday needs even as their numbers rise. It is a challenging social issue. For Serving Seniors, it all starts with the effort to ensure no older adult goes to bed hungry by opening the doors to the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center 365 days a year for the community.
Serving Seniors will keep their doors with the continued support from donors who make our work possible. We extend an invitation to you if you would like to enjoy a meal, join as a community volunteer or donate.
www.servingseniors.org
