WESTFIELD-As the summer membership drive winds down for the Friends of the Westfield Senior Center, Inc., Kathy Millas is hopeful that the recruitment efforts will be a success.
“We currently have 128 lifetime Friends members,” said Millas, who serves as the clerk/treasurer for the group. “Only a handful of people have joined since we began our summer membership drive but there have been a number of inquiries.”
Millas explained that membership is open all year long but Sept. 20 is the last date to be eligible for the restaurant prize to be awarded at the Friends “Free FALLing Turkey Dinner” fundraiser on Sept. 22 at the Westfield Senior Center on Noble Street. Current and new lifetime members will be entered into the drawing.
Tickets for this dinner are so wildly popular that the event was sold out in a few hours.
“A lifetime membership costs $100 and is the only option for membership,” said Millas, adding that new members receive a Friends’ T-shirt and a black squirrel mug as thank-you gifts.
The mission of the Friends of the Westfield Senior Center is to provide enhancements to the programs, services, and activities of the Westfield Senior Center through fundraising, advocacy, and facility improvement, according to Millas.
“The Friends group initially raised enough money to furnish the entire senior center when it opened almost four years ago,” said Millas, adding that the city bond paid for the bricks and mortar, and the Friends “paid for almost everything inside.”
Millas noted that the Friends group continues to meet requests to benefit the senior center, including the creation last fall of the Senior Safety Office, as well as ongoing programs and services. Large and small ticket items that have been purchased over the years include kitchen equipment, an additional pool table and light, supplies for the Wellness Center and Games Room, as well as fitness classes, the senior theater program, and staff conferences and trainings.
“We have managed funds to be able to meet future requests,” she said.
Millas said she encourages area residents to consider joining the Friends group for several reasons, including making new friends.
“When I retired in 2011 from the U.S. Postal Service, I realized that I finally had the time and opportunity to pay it forward for all the good things I had in my life,” she said. “Through my involvement with the Friends group, I have met many older adults that I might never have had the opportunity to get to know.”
Millas noted being involved in the Friends group also provides a chance to work with the “wonderful volunteers and staff” of the senior center.
“I feel I have had a chance to pay it forward for all the good things I have had in my life,” she added.
Membership brochures are located in the Fireside Lounge at the senior center. The Friends group is a tax-exempt organization under 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Membership dues are tax-deductible as provided by law.
For more information, visit www.westfieldseniors.org or send an email to [email protected] or call (413) 729-0222.
