Step up for Senior Center

Nobody deserves help more than those dedicated to helping others.

So consider this a distress signal on behalf of the Post Falls Senior Center - for the center and more particularly for the hundreds of citizens they assist.

On Wednesday, just as patrons were about to settle in for a good hot lunch on a cold, snowy day, a water pipe in the ceiling burst. Damage from the broken pipe might shut down the place for up to a month.

Meantime, people - some of them with nowhere else to go for a good, hot, affordable daily meal - threaten to be left out in the cold. As a community, we must not let that happen.

As the source point for Post Falls' Meals on Wheels program, the Senior Center's most immediate priority is ensuring meals are still being prepared and delivered for shut-ins and others who cannot get out for food.

Already, the center's new director, Alison McArthur, has lined up some immediate assistance. She's determined to ensure that the show goes on, damaged building or not.

The Press will keep citizens apprised of further needs as they develop. Fundraisers are almost certainly going to be needed because insurance isn't expected to cover the full cost of repairs.

To volunteer or donate, you can call McArthur, 773-9582, or board president Jackie McAvoy (773-8565/659-0735).

For everyone else, this brief warming trend after bitter cold may be a precursor to more damaged pipes just around the corner. Forecasts call for cold temperatures to return by Monday, so try to keep some water moving in the pipes by ensuring they're well insulated or otherwise kept somewhat warm.