Federal Way Community Center holds free monthly senior lunch

On the second Wednesday of every month, the Community Center brings seniors from across the city together to meet, socialize and enjoy some delicious food.

By Max Burchi • July 30, 2024 11:30 am

Seniors flocked to the Federal Way Community Center recently to enjoy some free delicious food.

During the second Wednesday of every month, the community center provides a free lunch for seniors. On July 10, the event continued on with great success as the Senior Lounge became packed to the brim.

The Steel Lake Presbyterian Church catered the meal with a Panera Bread Box, which included a sandwich, chips, water and a cookie.

“It’s hard to manage a budget on seniors’ paycheck or social security, so this is just one more way we can be a part of the community,” said Reverend Colleen Chinen, member of the Steel Presbyterian Church and catering organizer for the lunch.

Other than keeping everyone well fed, the lunch also provided a great opportunity for seniors in the community to meet and socialize.

“Isolation is a big problem among seniors,” Chinen said. “The goal is that people will meet others they don’t know, and then figure out how to do other activities with each other and know more people in the community.”

While this lunch is viewed as a positive endeavor, many believe that there can be a platform for expansion.

When Chinen was asked if she believed Federal Way was doing enough for seniors, she responded with an emphatic “no.”

“I would like to see more gatherings,” Chinen said. “Can we use this space to play cribbage, to gather and play games, to have speakers and have holiday celebrations.”

This sentiment was repeated by the Senior Advisory Commission, who passed a petition to the seniors in attendance requesting an expansion to the Senior Center and additional activities provided.

“We would like to help [seniors] and provide more programs,” said Lana Bostic, Senior Advisory Commision Lead Chair. “We are passing a petition to show interest in having a stand-alone senior center. It just means we would like to show city council that there is a need for it and people really want it.”

The Federal Way Senior Center is not located in Federal Way, but in Auburn and it is only open two days a week. The Senior Advisory Board is not requesting a large-scale construction project, just an increased ability to provide programs and services across the city.

“Our purpose is trying to support the seniors in the area,” Bostic said. “We would like to enhance the building in Auburn and get more things going on here. We have a large, very diverse senior population here in Federal Way, and were trying to get to different areas and think outside of the box on what we can do.”