Pasadena Senior Center Seeks Financial Support, Must Raise $2 Million

Vital programs and services at the Pasadena Senior Center that serve basic daily needs for older adults are being impacted by the COVID-19 issue.

Those who rely on the center for critical services such as daily hot lunches available to members, the food distribution program for low-income members and non-members who need essential food at home, the telephone reassurance program that helps homebound older adults combat isolation and loneliness and stay connected to the center and other vital programs consider the center a lifeline that benefits their mental, emotional and physical health.

“Without the financial help of the Pasadena community, we may have to cut these and other services that are critical to thousands of vulnerable people at a time when they need our help the most,” said Akila Gibbs, executive director of the Pasadena Senior Center. “I am appealing to the Pasadena community to help us get through this precarious time, which may last many months.”

The center’s revenue stream and investment fund, which Gibbs and other key staff rely on to operate the center and provide critical services, have diminished drastically because of the COVID-19 issue. Entry fees for the Pasadena Senior Games are being refunded to the more than 1,500 registrants, and facility rentals for weddings, conferences and other special third-party events have been canceled for the foreseeable future. Fee-based spring classes cannot be offered, and digital alternatives are being explored.

“It is likely we will be in the same position this coming autumn,” Gibbs added. “This crisis is forcing me to make decisions I never imagined I would have to face – decisions that will impact the lives of thousands older adults throughout the greater Pasadena area.”

An additional $2 million is needed to cover COVID-19-related losses this fiscal year if the Pasadena Senior Center is going to get through the crisis with the resources necessary to continue providing services and programs. The center is one of only a few 501(c)(3) nonprofit senior centers in the U.S. and the only one in the greater San Gabriel Valley that offers such a breadth of services. No funding is received from any government agency. If the center is forced to close, there will be no other organization to fill the void.

To donate, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on the Donate button. Call (626) 685-6756 for more information.