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In 1969, Goldenrod Hills Community Action Agency
contacted Marian Schlueter in an effort to organize a senior center in
Dakota County. Funds were available through a government grant. Marian
contacted some seniors over a two-week period and finally got some
interest going. They would meet in the back room of the Colonial Gift
Shop. The room was approximately 14x24, had 1 large sink and a small
bathroom was framed out in a corner. The walls were covered with
plastic covering the frame without a ceiling. An old stove was present
but the oven did not work. The first meal was served. Marian cooked in
2 electric roasters, and she purchased some silverware at Goodwill.
They used paper plates. A 50-cent donation was asked. Twenty-three
people attended the first meal. Money was available to purchase the
meat from Goldenrod Hills. The next week they served 30 people, then
50. Within a month and a half, they were serving a crowd of 100 on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. They borrowed tables and chairs from the
Methodist Church and they had to eat in shifts because they would run
out of plates and silver and
places to sit. It was obvious they needed a bigger place to meet.
Arrangements were made to rent the educational building from Hope
Lutheran Church on a trial basis. Soon they were serving on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday. The crowd ranged from 200 to 250 and they had
started a route to deliver meals to shut-ins. Initially, they served
17. The seniors were unable to have the hall in the evening to have
entertainment, so the Knights of Columbus sponsored an evening event for
them once a month. They enjoyed bingo, dancing, lunch after the event,
and provided transportation to and from the event.
In 1971 the center
moved to the Legion Hall where they started serving 4 days a week. A
senior band was formed and on Wednesdays the band played and they served
around 300 people. The Center eventually moved back to Hope Lutheran
Educational Hall, then back to the Legion before settling at 1615 I
Avenue behind City Hall.
April 17, 1978, the
club incorporated under the name Northeast Nebraska Senior Center, Inc.
They received a matching grant from the government and raised money to
match it. With the money, the room behind City Hall was renovated and
the first meal was served on August 27, 1979 to 103 seniors, and to 53
shut-ins.
In April, 1993, the
seniors purchased their present building at 1501 W. 29th Street from the
V.F.W. with a CDBG grant from the city, $75,000 in matching funds and a
bank loan. An additional entry was built on the south of the building.
In 1999, they sold some property to Dr. Joseph Aitkin to build a dental
clinic. |
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