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Thurston County proclaims May 28 National Senior Health and Fitness Day; Senior Services for South Sound outlines programs
Summary
The Thurston County Board of Health on May 13 adopted a proclamation recognizing May 28, 2025, as National Senior Health and Fitness Day and heard a presentation from Senior Services for South Sound describing meals, transportation, volunteer and respite programs for older adults.
The Thurston County Board of Health on May 13 adopted a proclamation recognizing May 28, 2025, as National Senior Health and Fitness Day and heard a presentation from Senior Services for South Sound on local services for older adults.
Senior Services for South Sound Director Brian (no last name given) told the board the organization operates congregate meal sites in Lacey and Olympia that each serve “over a hundred meals a day,” runs Meals on Wheels with about 400 clients, provides volunteer transportation to medical appointments including specialty care in Seattle, and operates programs such as home share, trips and tours, Tai Chi and music groups. “The only criteria for Meals on Wheels … is that you're really unable to cook for yourself,” Brian said.
The presenter described organizational scale and funding: about 50 staff (about 33 full-time equivalents), a fiscal-year budget of about $3.6 million, roughly half of funding from Older Americans Act allocations routed through the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging, and roughly half from private donations. He said the organization uses more than 400 active volunteers and estimated the unpaid value of that volunteer work at “over a million and a half dollars” in payroll-equivalent value.
Board members asked clarifying questions about services and programs, and the presenter described Brighter Days (a respite program for people with cognitive illness), home share placements (average rent around $500 per month for matches), and the State Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program (SHIBA), a volunteer-delivered Medicare counseling program that requires substantial volunteer training.
The proclamation reads, in part, that “May 28, 2025, is recognized as National Senior Health and Fitness Day” and cites county and state senior demographics. The board adopted the proclamation on a voice vote.
The presentation and proclamation come as Thurston County reports a senior population (age 65 and older) of 19.3 percent, according to figures cited in the proclamation text.
Board members and the presenter said they would follow up with staff for copies of handouts and communications about volunteering and program enrollment.
