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North Marion Adult Center asks Woodburn for support as volunteer program scales up
Summary
Presenters described a volunteer‑led senior center that runs free meals and programming for a regional senior population, cited rapid growth and the need for paid leadership, and asked the city to consider partnership or funding in the FY 2026–27 budget.
Gary Verpe Gonzalez, chair of the North Marion Adult Center, told the council the center has grown rapidly and now provides regular lunches, exercise classes and educational programming. He said volunteers run most operations and recounted that the community meals program served a substantial number of meals last year as the program expanded; he urged the council to consider starting support during the next budget cycle to allow the center to hire paid leadership and expand services regionally.
"We started out when COVID hit ... last year we averaged over 909 meals or 47,000 meals," the presenter said when summarizing the program’s output and volunteer effort. He and other volunteers, including Angel Alejandro and Lamon Bush, described how the center reduces isolation among seniors and provides a gathering place that supports health and social needs. The presenter said the center is exploring partnerships and grants and will present a proposed budget to interested councils and county bodies.
