By Kari Hartmann
Dozens of Ukiahans turned up Wednesday Sept 10 to hear the board of directors and leaders of Ukiah Senior Center talk about funding issues and expansion of their thrift store.
The Senior Center has begun closing on Fridays because of a cash flow crunch. And financial pressures at the county level may mean a further cash squeeze as service contracts with the County of Mendocino end in July 2026.
The meeting started with Executive Director Liz Dorsey introducing staff and volunteer leaders, and outlining the wide variety of efforts the Center undertakes in the community, which include
Lunch service Monday –Thursday, frozen and to go meals, drive thru meals, food delivered to homebound seniors and a respite program for caregivers Holiday meals, including more than 350 Thanksgiving meals Affordable door to door transportation for residents from Redwood Valley to Hopland for medical appointments, friend outings, and shopping Outreach advocates who assist seniors with challenging issues like food and shelter insecurity, scheduling out of town doctor visits, finding home caregivers and helping members find assistance with financial matters and legal paperwork Special events, classes, musical events, dances, bingo, bunko, and moreThe overall message from speakers was that the Senior Center, despite serious financial challenges, has a plan to address the future.
“You’ve heard about all the projects we carry out,” Board President John McCowen said. “They have one thing in common – they all cost money. We are in a situation where our monthly revenue does not meet our expenses.”
McCowen said donations and memberships have been steady, but contracts for transportation and outreach have been declining while annual gifts from local organizations are flat. The overall picture is revenue has not kept pace with rising costs, and he urged everyone to donate whatever they can afford. “Donations at any level are vital and appreciated.”
“We do have a plan for the future,” McCowen continued, “and our thrift store is the key. But not the current thrift store. Rather than keep plowing money into the current old building, we want to build a new one, with an adequate processing space and a large sales floor.”
The current thrift store, a small building next to Bartlett Event Center, is projected to bring in more than $100,000 in income this year. The closure of a large Ukiah thrift store earlier this year has led to an influx of donations and shoppers at the Senior Center thrift, but their current setup does not have adequate room to sort, display and sell more materials. “Hospice of Ukiah’s loss has been our gain,” McCowen said. “We are getting more sales, more donations, because Hospice isn’t there any more.”
Senior Center staff and directors believe expansion of the thrift store is needed to fill the funding gap they are facing and bring a steady source of revenue to the organization.
Richard Baker, executive director of Willits Senior Center, was on hand to share his experience building a large thrift store operation. Baker said the Willits Senior thrift started in one room, and after a number of expansions, now has a 1,200 sq foot processing area and a 3,000 sq ft sales floor. The thrift store covers 33% of the Willits Senior Center’s expenses, and income from the store is growing every year. “It covers all the shortfalls in other departments,” Baker said. “Without the thrift store we would have had to restructure our entire organization.”
Audience members had a variety of questions regarding funding, construction and finances.
Director Dorsey said they plan to keep the current store open during construction, but they have yet to figure out exactly how that will work. It might involve temporary portable buildings. She said money donated for a new center is staying in the capital fund – it is not used for general operations or day to day expenses.
Asked how the center wound up in such a precarious situation, Dorsey said their struggle mirrors the pressure members face themselves with inflation and rising costs.
“Our buildings are old. Equipment breaks. Our heating and cooling systems are aging. Floors have to be refinished or replaced. We have an $80,000 insurance bill,” Dorsey explained. “When you are in a financial situation where you cannot meet your payroll, hard measures are necessary” referring to their Friday closure.
Dorsey noted the center had their lighting retrofitted to reduce costs, and are undertaking other efforts to cut costs, such as pursuing a solar energy grant. McCowen said he personally takes excess garbage so their disposal costs are kept in check. “We do get a lot of very good items donated…We also get a lot of tattered leftovers from garage sales” which affects disposal costs. This has allowed the Senior Center to cut their garbage service expenses in half.
The attitude of the staff and directors was upbeat and positive despite the worries about money.
Dorsey reminded the audience of the benefits of membership, which include 15% off all thrift store purchases. Transportation manager Sheryl Mitcham shared the story of a bus driver who went over and above to rescue a client’s Yorkie after it escaped as he was helping a woman to her front door. She joked that senior center drivers will even transport seniors to the casino – but in that case, they might encourage customers to pay in advance.
One audience member said she was interested in arranging a regular monthly donation. “We need sustainable donors,” Dorsey said. Interested patrons can contact the Ukiah Senior Center if they would like to arrange monthly donations from checking accounts or credit cards.
“Reach out with ideas,” Dorsey said. “We are always trying to serve our members and friends.”
Ukiah Police Chief Tom Corning, and Ukiah Mayor Doug Crane both attended, but offered no public comments. One of the audience questions was about city funding. While some cities do support their senior centers, the City of Ukiah does not.
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