TURNAROUND

WASILLA — Nine months after a budget shortfall forced the Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. to drastically cut services, the senior center is experiencing a rebirth of its facility and programs.

With an influx of grant money and private donations, WASI is opening a new health and wellness center as well as offering a guided nutritional program and breakfast service in addition to the popular congregate luncheons.

WASI received an $800,000 capital grant from the state to reconstruct a building on the back of its campus, executive director Sondra Kaplan said. It was soon determined that money would be insufficient for that purpose, so WASI got permission to build an addition onto its main building.

This addition will house the health and wellness center, Kaplan said. It will be a sort of gym facility for classes like Tai Chi and exercise stretching, she said. This will add to the physical offerings at the center, which already include a walking track around the dining center where seniors can record 25 laps to equal one mile.

“The benefits are going to be clarity in their thinking by keeping their endorphins going. A better physical lifestyle brings about less trips to the doctor,” Kaplan said.

The money will also go to renovating aspects of the existing building. A new fire suppression system will be installed, the bathrooms will be updated to be compliant with Americans With Disabilities Act standards and the interior will get a general facelift, she said.

“As we get our renovations done, we hope to entice other groups to have their meetings there,” Kaplan said.

The renovations should begin soon, she said, and the wellness center will be completed around April.

In addition to more physical activity, WASI is trying to get seniors more involved and aware of the benefits of good nutrition. A diners club of a rotating group of seniors will work with the nutritionist and chef to determine the center’s menu.

“Not only will they help watch how they spend their money, but they will help come up with a nice balance in the food — a low-sodium, low-fat diet,” Kaplan said.

Studies show eating right — like exercise — contributes to lasting mental cognition, she said.

“The problems with dementia will be diminished. A lot of the problems are attributed to nutrition,” Kaplan said. “With the nutrition program and health and wellness center, we can keep their longevity there for quite a long time.”

This is a lofty goal for an organization that announced financial turmoil in March. Faced with a huge deficit, WASI briefly canceled the congregate meals it serves Monday through Friday free of charge to seniors. Later, it reinstated the meals but cut the hours of the center’s operations.

With the help of fundraisers, private donations and money from the city of Wasilla, the center returned to normal operations on July 1.

The expansion of the center and the nutritional program also come with WASI’s ability to now offer breakfast both in its dining room and with its home delivered meals. The continental style buffet begins at 8 a.m. and runs until about 9:30 a.m.

Like the congregate meals, the seniors will be charged on a donation base only for breakfast, and guests can eat for $5.50. The bill is paid courtesy of the federal government and a grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Kaplan said. The stimulus money runs out in March, but Kaplan hopes to have alternate funding secured by then.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.