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Fountain Valley Senior Center marks 50 years; staff and volunteers warn funding and rides remain strained
Summary
Council presented a proclamation and Spirit of Fountain award on July 8 to the Fountain Valley Senior Center, which serves hundreds of seniors each month but faces funding challenges for transportation and operations. Center leaders asked for donations and community support.
Fountain — The Fountain City Council on July 8 proclaimed 2025 the 50th anniversary of the Fountain Valley Senior Center and presented the center with the Spirit of Fountain award, as center staff and board members described ongoing funding pressures for transportation and operations.
"we serve over 600 meals a month. We serve, over 800 seniors that walk through the doors a month," Mark Bauer, executive director of the Fountain Valley Senior Center, told the council. He said the center has 13–14 staff and more than 45 volunteers and provides roughly 600 rides a month to seniors without other transportation options.
Why it matters: the center provides meals, transportation, activities and social connection that staff say prevent isolation for many local older adults. At the meeting center leaders and the council stressed the continuing need for donations and stable funding.
What officials said
Mayor Thompson read a formal proclamation honoring the center’s five decades of service and the council presented the Spirit of Fountain award. Steve Schleicher, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder and a member of the Pikes Peak Commission on Aging, and state Rep. Mary Bradfield each offered congratulatory remarks.
Bradfield told the council the center does "so much with so little for so many" and asked the public to consider donations; Bauer explained that most transportation is donation‑based and that suggested donations do not cover the full cost of rides.
Funding and services
Bauer and others said government funding does not cover all costs: staff noted a mix of federal and regional funding sources but said many rides and meals are supported through donations and local fundraising. Bauer asked the public to consider donating to support rides and suggested that a $6–$7 per one‑way ride estimate from a past board review had likely risen.
The center also plans new activities, including a monthly singalong and a biscuits‑and‑gravy plus trivia event every two weeks, and invited residents to visit and volunteer.
Discussion, direction and next steps
- Discussion points: the center’s volume (600 meals/month; ~800 distinct seniors/month; ~600 rides/month), staffing (13–14 staff and ~45 volunteers), and continuing funding gaps.
- Directions: council recognized the center with a proclamation and award; staff and council encouraged residents to donate and support transportation funding; Representative Bradfield noted ongoing advocacy for senior funding at the state level.
Ending
Council members, staff and visiting officials emphasized that the center remains a vital community resource and asked residents to consider donations or volunteering to help sustain services.
