Bigfork Community Center rebrands itself
The Bigfork Senior Center has rebranded itself as the Bigfork Community Center to help revitalize the center and increase membership.
The Bigfork Community Center will host an open house on Thursday from 4-7 p.m., and invites people of all ages to come have a look around, meet the new center coordinator Rocky Feckete, enjoy refreshments, get a free blood pressure check and more.
The center hopes to gain new membership, and volunteers who are willing to lead more activities at the center, and help make the community center more active.
“A lot of people don’t even know about the center being here,” Community Center board vice president JoLynn Yenne said.
Yenne said she became aware of the center herself when she was on the Governors Council on aging. “I realized this place could be doing a lot more to get people more active,” she said.
Recently Yenne has been visiting other senior centers, which are now more commonly branded as community centers, around the country to get ideas for things that would work in Bigfork.
One idea she got from Hood River Ore., is adding additional membership options.
General memberships are available to people that are at least 50 years old for an annual fee, which is currently $15 for singles and $27 for couples. Lifetime memberships are available for anyone who is at least 70 years old for a one time cost. Associate memberships are available for people aren’t yet 50
Members will receive discounts on some activities and will be able to vote on matters and elect the board. Only associate members don’t have voting rights.
The center has made some headway already in moving forward with their goals. A line dancing class will be wrapping up this week. Carolyn Vale has begun a Mahjong group that will play twice a month at the center. Mahjong, is a Chinese tile game.
And earlier this month a Girl Scout troop made the cake for the center’s monthly potluck, where they celebrate birthdays.
“That’s part of the things I home to see more of is to get the youth groups involved,” Yenne said. While the Community Center is rebranding and hopes to get people of all ages involved, much of their focus is still on being a place for seniors.
The center will have information on Medicare on Nov. 27 and 18 from 4 to 5 p.m., and an AARP driving course On Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Currently the community center is staffed three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served through the Agency on Aging those three days. For people over 60 the meal is free, for others it is $6 and donations are accepted.
“People who can’t afford to eat, come in, I’ll feed you.” Feckete said.
The Bigfork meals on wheel distributes down the east shore to woods bay and north to the swan highway. On the second Thursday of every month the center hosts a potluck to celebrate members’ birthdays.