Island Senior: The Mullis Center Says Goodbye to 2019

In 2019 the Mullis Center Expanded the Lunch Program – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

As the year 2019 comes to an end we San Juan Islanders can count our blessings. We live on a beautiful island and we have a senior center with much to offer.  This year the Mullis Center has seen some changes and some growth.

In January, long time senior services manager, Wendy Stevens, retired. She was looking forward to travel and grandchildren. Meanwhile, the Mullis Center was planning to expand the popular lunch program.

In April, Meals on Wheels and More, the lunch program that provides both a hot lunch and salad bar at the Mullis Center as well as delivered meals to those who can’t get out, went from Tuesdays and Thursdays to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, adding a third day. Senior Services Specialist Debbie Haagensen tells me, “As of mid-December, we have served 7,875 meals at the Mullis Center (dine-in and takeout) and delivered 4,121 meals to homebound clients for a total of 11,996 meals—and counting—for 2019!” 

The Mullis Center’s Pancake Breakfast fundraisers on the first Sunday of each month are now earmarked to support the meals program. When chef Hobbes left, the Mullis Center hired a new head chef, Kate Stone newly returned to the island after an extensive sojourn in New Zealand. If you would like to see the month’s menus go to the San Juan Update and click on the Mullis Center ad. 

June saw the beginning of the Mullis Center Book Club moderated by librarian Beth Helstien. We meet in the Mullis Center library on the second Monday of each month at 1:15pm. We will be discussing this month’s book, Where’d You Go Bernadette? on January 13. You are welcome to join us.

Rob Ewers, Lynn Carlson, Dennis Busse, and the Nissan Leaf – Contributed photo

In July the Mullis Center purchased a Nissan Leaf Plus electric vehicle for meals on wheels delivery. The center delivers meals all over the Island so this electric vehicle will save a lot of money on gas. Thanks to Stephen Shubert and Dennis Busse for researching and arranging the purchase of the vehicle.

Plenty of other regular activities and classes continued. We will look at all of the exercise classes at the Mullis Center in our next article. The annual Parking Lot Sale was a success even if it did get rained out a little early. Shimba volunteers came to explain the mysteries of Medicare. (If you still need help its not too late: contact Pat Skyhawk).

The Annual Artisan Craft Fair the weekend before Thanksgiving followed by the Community Thanksgiving Dinner brought the year to a festive close and the Mullis Center now has an active website: The Mullis Center. There is not much on the new website yet but it does have a donate button. Stay tuned as we move into the new year 2020.

Link to: The Mullis Center webpage

Link to: The Mullis Center Facebook Page

Link to: The San Juan Update (click on the Mullis Center ad for this month’s lunch menus)

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