Senior Center volunteers to be honored with luncheon

An army of 60 volunteers keep the North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center going strong, one good deed at a time. According to center director Kim Gifford, volunteers donate more than 3,600 hours of service every year, a tradition that has not only served the center but the community for decades. 

The volunteers act as board members, serve on the nutrition council and, in the dining room, deliver meals to shut-ins They make quilts honoring veterans and others, plant flowers and perform numerous other behind-the-scenes tasks. According to Gifford, there is literally no area of the center that is not touched by the generous offerings of time, expertise and kindness of the volunteers.

“The senior center has an army of volunteers who will do whatever they can to make the senior center great,” said Gifford. “Our volunteers include meal delivery drivers, senior center board members, quilters, those helping with the monthly newsletter, greeters, craft facilitators and people who help decorate the center for special events.”

Senior Center volunteers will be honored at a special luncheon held at the Center in their honor on Monday, April 22, at noon. 

In addition to the volunteers at the center, Gifford acknowledged the support of local businesses.

 “First Bank of Wyoming employee volunteers started delivering meals around two years ago after seeing an ad that we needed volunteers,” said Gifford. “They have a group of employees that rotate and deliver every Wednesday for the senior center. They really enjoy giving back to the community by serving the senior population of North Big Horn County. They have also been a proud sponsor of our birthday meals for many years. 

“We appreciate our volunteers so much and will honor them on volunteer appreciation Day. Bank of Lovell will sponsor lunches for the volunteers on that day. Bank of Lovell has sponsored our veteran and volunteer lunches for many years.”  

It is often the volunteers who refer others for services offered by the center.

The creation of senior centers, designed to provide services to the age 60-plus population, dates back to the early 70s when federal money was set aside through the Older Americans Act and used to create centers like the one located in Lovell. At that time, certain risks specific to the elderly population were identified and became the focus of senior centers across the nation. Topping the list of priorities is nutritional risk and the risk of isolation, due to lack of transportation.

With the help of volunteers and community support, the center continues to address these risks as its top priority, serving meals that are hearty, nutritious and reasonably priced, offering low-cost rides, social activities, holiday celebrations and by being a resource for information in the form of both group and one-on-one sessions. 

The pool of volunteers helping the center is more than six times the size of its paid staff, Gifford said. Without their help, many of the services could not be offered.