The Senior Community Center in Idaho Falls is saving and changing the lives of many. One of those lives is Executive Director Valisa Say. She began her work at the Senior Center as one of their Meals on Wheels drivers. This program brings meals to seniors all around the area. Once a day, drivers will deliver meals to hundreds of senior citizens and check up on them. Say says, “...before I started here, I knew nothing about what a nonprofit is, never heard of it...you don’t know what nonprofits do for the community and at what cost.”
Say drove for just three weeks before a new opportunity arose. She says, “I was hired as a meals on wheels driver in 2006, and after three weeks I moved up to the Associate Director, because she had come in on a Saturday and left her keys and a note that she was quitting so I kind of moved up by default. And 10 or 11 now years ago...2009...I took over as Executive Director...”
As executive director, Say gets to see a lot of the Senior Center. There are many activities and programs available, including Meals on Wheels. One of the best parts of the center is that it is free. There is no entry fee because it is a nonprofit. That means these programs are available to all. The Senior Center is a place for senior citizens to get up and get out. The social activities are designed for the members of the center.
While the physical center in Idaho Falls is full of fun, social activities, the center does a lot more for the community than most people know. For example, the Meals on Wheels program does more than just deliver meals. Say says, “My drivers put eyes on every participant every day. If they don’t when they deliver a meal, we are making calls. And we have found them in diabetic comas, we’ve found them passed away, we’ve found them fallen in the shower, we’ve found them, and we have been able to help them...”
Helping these seniors receive care and companionship clearly means a lot to Executive Director Say. Many are unaware of these programs or the good the Idaho Falls Senior Citizen Community Center does. Since the center is a nonprofit, they receive all its funding from donations or the government. In order to sponsor these programs or deliver meals to seniors, they need more donations and volunteers. Say says they could especially use drivers for Meals on Wheels.
If you would like the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these seniors, or to view the activities available, visit www.ifsccc.org or call (208) 522-4357. The Idaho Falls Senior Citizens Community Center is located at 535 West 21st Street in Idaho Falls.