Creacher Teachers August 13, 2024

 

Magician Jeff Evans July 5, 2024

 

Jeff was here last year.  Everyone who attended enjoyed his MAGIC SHOW!

Free Legal Services for Senior Citizens 2024

 

Thurston County Art Contest 2024

 

May 2024 Lunch Menu

 

Steelhead Update 03/28/2024

 Dear Seniors & Friends,

We served a fresh steelhead lunch last week.  It was a hit!  We also gave away fresh steelhead  - you clean - a couple of weeks ago.  We thought there would be more in 

April, but Jody told us Wednesday that she won't be getting more steelhead until this coming fall.  We will let you know when they are available, so you can get on the fishy list.

Remember, we have a special lunch coming up on April 10th to thank the Nisqually Indian Tribe for their grants for 2022 & 2023. Their elders are coming to bless our meal, as well as the commercial freezer and commercial 3-door refrigerator we purchased with their grants. We're serving - Beef Tips and Gravy.

The Senior Center of Rainier is grateful to each and every one who

joins us for lunch. It's become a home-away-from-home for us all!

We are grateful and appreciate you all.

Linda

Attached is a picture of George Sharp's lunch:

From Jody on Facebook:  

Tenino Community Service Center/Tenino Food Bank Plus

I understand George Johnson and his awesome crew blew it out of the park with today's Rainier Senior Center lunch. It takes many hands to bring these wholesome meals to our seniors two days a week. Thanks go to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for the great opportunity to allow us to bring fresh fish to our senior population. Photo by George Sharp.

You can follow Jody on Facebook.  They're team supports the Senior Center of Rainier as well as

the new Rainier Food Pantry at Valley Heart Assembly of God Church.  Thank you Jody, Kevin & Crew!

Senior Center Flyer for March 30, 2024

 

Visit to the Department of Fisheries on the Skookumchuck River

 George and I met Jody Stoltz and her crew from the Tenino Community Service Center at the Dam along the Skookumchuck River.  We went there to pick up some fish for our senior citizens.  Jody was picking up fish for the local food bank.

The river runs through huge granite walls that are several stories high.  What a view!

The men working for the Department of Fish and Wildlife are all college educated.  The person we talked to the most went to college in Vermont.  He said there's one school in Washington and another in Oregon that have classes for anyone interested is studying fish.

They were sorting fish to take to stock a local lake today.  They take fish to several different local lakes for local fishermen.  The stocking is staggered because of the size limit of what a truck tank can hold.  

 

This is what we saw when we first drove up. 
The rock wall in back is several stories high.

This truck has a tank that is filled with fish to stock lakes.

Jody and crew are picking up fish for their food bank.

The tall contraption on the right is over the holding tank for fish that are sorted to stock lakes.

This rock wall is several stories high on both sides.  The river runs through the granite walls. 
Stunning view.

Shorter part of the rock wall is behind the holding tank for fish tank to stock in local lakes. 

The truck drives under the area on the far right, where the fish are brought 
out of the tank and put into the tank on the truck.  Quite an operation.

April 2024 Lunch Menu

A Special "Thank You" to the Nisqually Tribe

We are hosting a special "Thank You" lunch on April 10, 2024 for the Nisqually Tribe Elders.  They will do the blessing for the meal, as well as bless the new commercial freezer and fridge that were purchased with grant funds they donated to the Senior Center in 2022 & 2023.  

Senior Center Driving Class April 24, 2024

 The Driving Class date has been changed.  It will be held on April 24, 2024.

Senior Citizens Driving Class

 

Fresh Catch of the Day!

Thank you to the Tenino Community Service Center and their staff!

Jody Stoltz, from the Tenino Community Service Center brought the Senior Center 18 fresh steelhead!  Coop and Dan cleaned and filleted them.  Victoria and I cut them up, vacuum sealed them and put them in the freezer for our "Chef's Choice" meal later this month.  What a wonderful Catch of the Day!

The Tenino Community Service Center has helped us tremendously over the last few months.  Not only do they donate fresh food to the Senior Center, they came to the Senior Center and helped us take our old refrigerators to the Rainier Food Pantry.  They have a hydraulic lift on the back of their truck, which simplified the job for us old folk.  We are grateful to Jody and her staff for their help and dedicated community service.  

Property Tax Reductions for 2024

 

Tenino Community Service Center

 

The Tenino Community Service Center is the only place in Thurston County offering the "Testandgo KIOSKS"   This s a free service offered to members of our community.

 

March 2024 Lunch Menu

 

February 2024 Lunch Menu

 

Speakers this Monday at Lunch January 29, 2024

Please feel free to join us for lunch on Monday!

Dr. Ruhland will be speaking at this Monday's Lunch. He should be there at 11:30 or 12:00 for lunch.  We will introduce him and let him speak.  He will make a presentation after lunch.

You can learn more about Dr. Ruhland on his website at:

https://www.drruhland.com/

They will also have another presentation next Sunday at the Senior Center of Rainier from 2-4pm.  Please feel free to join Dr. Ruhland and his helper, Xenia.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to bring them.  He'll be available for questions.

The lady who came last week from the Area Council on Aging will be at the Senior Center Monday as well.  She is bringing more booklets (resource guides), as she ran out last week.  Please remember to thank her for going out of her way to bring more books.  Thank you.

Timberland Anywhere Library Upcoming Events

 The Timberland Library comes out on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday every month and has a reading time with children as well as lets people check out books, get library cards, or order books to read.  Please feel free to join them in the Reading Room on these days!

January 2024 Lunch Menu

 Please note that our prices have NOT changed.

Also the lunches on the 24th and 29th have been switched.

We have the following guest speakers at the Senior Center the next couple of weeks:

• January 22nd:  Senior Services
• January 24th:  Bryan Barr & Students
• January 29th:  Dr. John Ruhland (Naturopath who lives in our area)
• January 31st:  Timberland Anywhere Library

Lunch Price Information January 2024

The Senior Center will be open today at 10 AM.  The new flooring has been installed and everything has been put away.

Our circumstances have changed at the Senior Center.  It was difficult to get provisions from the Rainier Emergency Food Center for a few months.  We didn't know what was happening, so the Board of Directors voted to increase the price of lunch by a dollar in November.  

Last month the REFC closed unexpectedly.  Since their closure many people and non-profits have reached out to us with donations of meat, eggs and food.  Private individuals have offered to donate food, pick up food and deliver it.  

Groups that used to supply the REFC have reached out to us.  Kevin & Diane Pettit got us in contact with Brenda at The Yelm Prairie Christian Center, which has started donating meat and perishable food to us.  

The Tenino Community Service Center called yesterday and will be donating food to us, also.  She will be coming to the Senior Center today with Pastor Pat for lunch today.  She will be bringing romaine lettuce for everyone to take home.  They will be donating food to the Senior Center.

Since our circumstances have changed, there is no need to increase the cost of our meals.  Even though the new lunch cards have $30.00 on them, the price will remain $25.00.  Lunch prices will stay at $5.00 for members and $7.00 for non-members.

We are stewards of the Senior Center.  We can only pass on a cost when it is absolutely necessary.  We look forward to seeing everyone for lunch today!

Joy Goldman Passed Away

Joy Goldman passed away last Friday, January 5, 2024, shortly before noon.  Her daughter, DeDe, was with her and holding her hand when she passed.  DeDe has been a great comfort to her mother since her father, Dick passed away April 11, 2016.  

Joy and Dick were on the Senior Center of Rainier Board of Directors for several years.  They were active members.  We enjoyed sitting with them during lunch at the Senior Center.  

Joy is truly missed at the Senior Center.  We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.  

Joy, Dick and Dede

Joy & DeDe

Valley Heart Food Pantry

 Valley Heart Assembly of God is opening their food pantry this coming Wednesday, January 10, 2024 in the entryway area of their church. This is a soft opening for people in Rainer.  If you have any questions, please call the church (360) 446-2626.  Their flyer is below:

Thank You JZ Knight Humanities Foundation for Our New Floors!

 A Special "Thank You to JZ Knight Humanities Foundation" & Lowe's 

Dear Seniors & Friends,

The new flooring in the dining room, rest rooms and office were installed by Ted Hanks and his wife last weekend.  They're beautiful!  They did a great job.  We couldn't be happier with the job they did and how it transforms our Senior Center.

We sent a donation letter to the JZ Knight Humanities Foundation, asking for a donation for new flooring.  Terri Stuart called us and asked for 3 bids.  We got 4 bids.  The last bid was from Ted Hanks Construction.  We were impressed with their kindness and presentation.  We got back to Terri Stuart and they reviewed the bids.  We were pleased that Ted and Nicki won the bid.  

Nicki & Ted worked with Lowe's Home Improvement to get a discount on the flooring and they donated a special Shark floor cleaning machine, so we can maintain it properly.  We had time when the Senior Center would be closed due to Christmas and New Year's, so we were able to schedule the installation during the holidays.

Many of our members helped us to empty out the dining room to get ready for the new floors.  Then they came back in to help us put everything back together.  Bruce & Trish Palmer, Wil Speight, Terri & Bill Rendahl, Dawn Kenney, Debbie Henson, George & Linda Johnson, just to name a few people. 

The JZ Knight Humanities Foundation donated the funds to paint the outside of our building and finish the upstairs a few years ago.  Their foundation has been generous and supportive of the Senior Center of Rainier.  We are grateful and appreciate their commitment to us.  

Sincerely,

Linda & George Johnson

P.S.  We still have work to do before we reopen.  We hoped to reopen this Wednesday.  Reopening has been postponed until Monday, January 8, 2024.  We look forward to seeing everyone then!  LJJ

Pictures are below: