Seniors in serious bind

HAYDEN — The Hayden Senior Center at 9428 N. Government Way is in trouble.

Serving about 200 active seniors, the 6,000 square foot space has been rented for 26 years. On Feb. 3, sale of the building closed and the new landlord informed Senior Center leadership that rent would increase from $3,475 to $5,800.

“The new landlord, what he’s doing is legal. He owns the property,” said Board Chair Katherine Hanna. “The state doesn’t give any protection to renters in that respect unless you have a contract.”

The Senior Center had been operating without a contract, she said.

The new rent is beyond the nonprofit's budget, said Board Treasurer Kathy Verburg.

Though center leaders knew the building was for sale, they didn’t know when it would happen, said Hanna. The sudden change has left them in a bind.

“We’re scrambling,” Hanna said.

To the seniors served, the community center is vital. There are many misconceptions about what exactly a “senior center” is, Hanna said, but one thing it definitely is not is a nursing home.

“You don’t know what our age group can do,” Hanna said. “They do line dancing and exercise. They’re more active than a lot of the younger people. There’s not an age limit on anything.”

“We’re not dead,” Verburg added.

The Hayden seniors are anything but idle.

Meals are served daily. Church services are held. Tai-Chi, yoga, Fit and Fall Proof and various dance classes are offered.

Games and events are planned regularly. Holidays are celebrated. Relationships are built. Emotional and physical needs are met.

Free tax help is available daily during tax season. An upcoming class on iPhone operation is in the works.

“It’s so much more than a building,” Verburg said. “It’s a culture, it’s a community, it’s a family.”

Lisa Martin, in her fifth year as executive director, recently had a client tell her that “this place can’t not be here. This is my whole world.”

“We need to reach out to our community and ask for help,” Hanna said.

The immediate solution to keep the Senior Center open would be to find an affordable building or space before May 1. The long-term solution is donation of a permanent building so seniors aren't displaced.

The organization's leaders welcome the community's involvement. They told The Press they hope citizens will be compelled to form a coalition to provide the senior community a permanent space.

Though regular fundraisers are held and participants pay yearly dues, the money they’ve been able to raise is just enough to “keep the lights on,” said Martin.

The community has always been good to them, and they receive regular support from groups like the Cancer and Community Charities organization, she added.

Open to exploring all options, board members met Friday with another nonprofit to discuss the possibility of sharing a space.

The Hayden Senior Gems, as they call themselves, need space with a kitchen that meets health department requirements. And they need adequate open space to accommodate fitness classes and larger gatherings. The space they currently occupy has room for about 195 people.

The current real estate market has them priced out of anything affordable. Obtaining grants has proven to be an insurmountable task, Martin said.

Seventy percent of the center’s clients are on the ALICE scale of low-to-moderate income, Martin said.

The importance of the services and resources provided by the senior center became crystal clear during COVID lockdowns.

“It’s a lot more than just socialization. It all has to do with the cognitive,” Martin said. “We saw a significant decline in a lot of our folks because they weren’t engaged.”

“People say, 'Well, who are the seniors down there?'” Hanna said. “The seniors are the people who have paid for the infrastructure for the roads you drive on, the water systems and sewer systems. They paid their taxes over the years and paid for all the improvements.”

The seniors who visit range in age from about 55 to 90.

“What’s really cool is when you get to know these people, everybody’s had a life. Everybody’s had successes. They’ve had careers,” Hanna said. “It’s a diverse group of people from all over the United States.”

Anyone wishing to help should call Martin at 208-762-7052.

A schedule of events and other details can be found at haydenseniorcenter.org. Their annual Bingo & Brews fundraising event will take place on March 19, and the public is welcome.