Welcome to SouthEast Seattle Senior Center!
SouthEast Seattle Senior Center provides a way to find out what is happening for adults 50 and older in Seattle’s Rainier Valley and surrounding neighborhoods. We strive to enhance the emotional, social and physical well-being of boomers and beyond, and we do this by providing a wide variety of classes activities ranging from exercise to games and from health education to personal enrichment.
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Important Notice – Covid-19 Update
In order to keep our members, participants and staff as healthy and as safe as possible, the SESSC is redirecting the services we provide to seniors. Stay safe, and stay healthy!
Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2020.
A Message from the SESSC Executive Director
To Our Members, Participants and Friends,
As the pandemic continues, I wanted to update you regarding the SouthEast Seattle Senior Center. As you know, your health and the health of our staff, members and participants is important. More than anything, we want you to feel safe and comfortable when you return to our Center. And we are making updates and changes to create a safe environment for everyone.
Since mid-March, the center has redirected the services we provide to seniors. Most staff members worked from their home office during the last part of March. In mid-April staff members began to move back into the Center to continue redirecting the services offered by SESSC.
For example, the Community Dining Program evolved from a congregate meal program to meals being delivered to homebound seniors. During the initial phase of home delivered meals, the Center delivered 20 to 25 meals per day. Now, in June, we are preparing and delivering an average of 125 meals per day! We are only able to meet this need with the assistance of the Hyde Shuttle, numerous volunteers, support from community members and the dedicated staff of SESSC who now working at the center 5 days a week! So… we are not closed…we have redirected the services we provide, and we are open to receive donations of food, face coverings and other essential supplies Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm.
Our Membership Coordinator continues to develop virtual programming for seniors who have access to computers. Our Social Worker continues to meet with clients and via a phone call, email and Zoom. Our Finance Coordinator continues to pay our phone bill, utility bills, insurance bills, and process payroll. Our Community Engagement Coordinator continues to share information about Center activities as well as recruit volunteers to assist with the many tasks at the Center. Some staff positions have been modified to support the Community Dining Program and we are pleased we have not terminated any employees while redirecting the services provided at the Center!
The question that continues to surface is “When will the Center resume normal programming?” As many of you know, the City of Seattle is currently moving towards Phase 2. Senior senior centers as well as community centers are classified in Phase 4. That said, it is my expectation the Center will reach Stage 4 in late Summer or early October at which time we could potentially resume normal programming activities.
We are living in very difficult times and there are so many unknowns. What we do know is we have been serving seniors for more than 55 years, and we will get through tough times together. We are better together and cannot wait to welcome you back to the senior center!
Take care and stay healthy!
Lynda Greene
Executive Director, SESSC
Article from the Seattle Times about how Seattle area seniors are coping with the the CORONAVIRUS outbreak.
