After seven years of planning and building, the HUB, Faith in Action’s new senior center in Belfair, has recently opened doors. On June 24, the nonprofit will host a grand opening gala starting at 5:30 p.m.
The event will include music by the Bremerton Symphony Quartet, a time capsule dedication, food, no-host bar and more. The HUB is located at 111 NW Old Belfair Highway. Parking on site will be limited to the VIPs and those with limited mobility (the center is a short walk from the nearby QFC shopping center).
About the HUB
The HUB-which stands for Hospitality, Unity and Belonging — is a gathering place for meals, classes, services and events. It’s also home to Faith in Action’s thrift store, which helps fund services to seniors and disabled individuals. FIA attracts people not only from North Mason but also South Kitsap and Key Peninsula areas.
The project was made possible by local community supporters Les and Betty Krueger, who donated matching funds to purchase the land, plus numerous community members who contributed additional funds. The 15,000-square-foot facility was built to Silver LEED standards and includes a commercial kitchen, a great room that seats more than 200 people, a fitness room, as well as office space and meeting room (some of which are part of phase two). Also as part of phase two, approximately 1 acre of wetland and wetland buffer will be converted into a wheelchair-friendly pocket park with native plantings, benches and trails.
Scheduled and future activities include: senior lunches and dances, Meals on Wheels, nutrition classes, cooking/canning classes, exercise classes, Medicare/Social Security help, community field trips, blood pressure checks, immunizations, Wii2 activities, craft classes, card games, bingo and other social and educational programs targeting seniors, the functionally disabled, and their caregivers.
The kitchen is available for rent to microbusinesses, allowing local entrepreneurs a reasonably priced commercial kitchen where they can produce their goods. In the future, low-cost (or subsidized) rental space will be available for other senior service providers, such as Area Agency on Aging, Coalition of Church and Community, the American Legion and the Alzheimer’s Association.
A high value will be placed to recreating the “extended family” through cross-generational programming. Youth teaching seniors technology, seniors teaching youth cooking and canning, both groups sharing their experience, strength, and hope.
During the first month of operation, the HUB exceeded projections for new membership and lunch attendance. Already, 177 annual members and 45 lifetime members have signed up, along with nearly 20 monthly and service memberships. More than 1,000 classes and events took place, with 276 people attending in total.
The HUB is still raising funds for the second phase.
For more information, go to fiaws.org.
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