History
Return
to Top of Page Since Pasadena's earliest days, citizens
have sought ways to make their city a better place to live. As
early as 1951, they began noting the number of Pasadenans who continued
living in the city as they entered the mature years and questioned
what the community could do to enhance their lives. It was not
uncommon for a community to care for its young people, but it was a
new step to address the quality of life it offered its older members. The
concept for the Pasadena Senior Center grew out of that concern.
On October 25, 1957, the Pasadena-Altadena
Committee for Senior Citizens formed by Pasadena's City Directors to
investigate ways to serve seniors outlined action to be taken. The
Directors responded by providing the site for a senior center in Memorial
Park and floating a bond issue to construct it. A nonprofit board
was named to operate it.
In 1959, the Junior League of Pasadena
joined the project in a sponsorship that continued for ten years and
ultimately provided thousands of volunteer hours as well as funds.
The Pasadena Senior Center first opened
its doors in May 1960. Thus began a partnership of the public
and private sectors that created the first nonprofit senior center
in Southern California and one of the first in the nation. The
partnership continues today as the Pasadena Senior Center continues
to be a model for other communities.
In 1983, the Pasadena Senior Center was
named one of nine recipients for ten years of funds provided by the
Margaret Bundy Scott Trust, a relationship that has given the Center
the opportunity to greatly expand its outreach to seniors. All
associated with the Center are deeply indebted to the Margaret Bundy
Scott for her magnificent financial support.
In 1998 we opened our doors to a rejuvenated
facility, which was tripled in size. It has allowed us to greatly
expand our activities as the building has several new outgrowths: a
billiard room, fully equipped gym, video production room, computer
lab, library, more meeting rooms, a larger multipurpose room, intern
and counseling offices and more employee space.
In the March of 1999, keeping with high
standards, the Pasadena Senior Center was awarded national accreditation
by the National Council on Aging's National Institute on Senior Centers. This
accreditation makes the Pasadena Senior Center the first nationally
accredited senior center in the state of California. The
Center was re accredited in 2006.
Today, we continue our high standards
as our seniors choose from a wide variety of experiences designated
just for them that will educate (over 50 classes taught weekly including
Senior Curriculum, a continuing education program with local colleges
and universities), inform them (Senior Advocacy Council with forums
for seniors), make them fit (exercise, tap classes, walking, tai chi
and a well-equipped fitness center), involve them (Encore Café,
a monthly television show written, designed and produced for and by
seniors) and entertain (monthly birthday celebrations for our members
and special holiday gatherings).
Seniors come to our Center 364 days a
year. One of our members said it best when she came for our delightful
4th of July holiday celebration: "My family invited me to
go with them for the holiday, and I had fun telling them..I already
have plans."
Seniors fifty and over are welcome regardless
of race, creed, ethnicity, nationality or where they reside. The
Board of Directors, staff and volunteers are united in their mission - to
improve and enrich the lives of seniors.
The
Founding of the Pasadena Senior Center
A Tale of Passion and Determination
Return
to Top of Page The year was
1953. The place was Pasadena, CA. The person was Ed
Bignell. The dream was to create a place specifically for
seniors to go for recreational and social activities - a senior
center.
It
was Ed's role as Pasadena's first full-time Director of Physical
Education and Recreation that enabled him to fulfill his dream.
The seeds for that vision were planted years earlier when Ed was
employed as the Superintendent of Recreation for the City of Palo
Alto. It was there that he learned of a place called "Little
House," in neighboring Menlo Park, the first place in the state
to offer indoor activities and programs exclusively for seniors.
Ed
knew that the City of Pasadena had a significant population of
older adults, yet he was also aware that city recreation traditionally
focused on programs for children and teens. A city-wide survey
revealed that 17% of the population was seniors with no programs
or services and no place to go. Ed firmly believed that a
city's recreation program should be inclusive of serving all of
its citizens, not just youth. Thus, Ed set out to bring the
concept of "Little House" to Pasadena.
In
order to make the senior center a reality, Ed needed to gather
support and the Recreation Commission gave him the "go-ahead". At
that time in the City's history, the Commission was composed of
11 individuals from the Pasadena Unified School District, the City
Council and the community at large. Because of the close
integration of the two entities, the City paid 50% of all costs
related to programs, and the School District covered the other
50%. Ed served as liaison between the City and the Commission.
The
journey began. Ed and the Commission took a bus tour of Los
Angeles. What they discovered was that there was not one
single building in all of Los Angeles dedicated to senior programs. There
were multi-purpose centers, but nothing for the 50+ population.
He
then recruited Pasadena notables Reverend Max Morrison of Lake
Avenue Presbyterian Church and Giles Hall of CalTech to join a
small committee to finalize the concept and plan the strategy to
accomplish their goal. In spite of their enthusiasm and determination,
the pathway to the new senior center was a rough one. For five
years, the committee hit a "brick wall", unable to get City approval
to float a bond issue to fund the project. Yet, they never gave
up.
Finally,
the help they needed came from an unexpected source. Assistant
City Manager, Robert McCurdy's mother, a senior herself, heard
about the unsuccessful efforts to get City endorsement for the
bond issue. She and her lunch group urged (to put it mildly) him
to support the committee and back its cause. Because of Mrs.
McCurdy's persistence, the City finally approved their project. After
years of work, a bond issue for improvements to municipal parks
passed and there were finally funds to build Pasadena's new senior
center. However, the building itself was not specifically
mentioned in the original bond issue. After more negotiations,
the City agreed to construct the building, but not staff the center. Memorial
Park was selected as the site.
So,
now Ed and his group had a building, but no one to staff it. The
Junior League of Pasadena then became involved to help with the
project and to finance a Director for the Center. A nation-wide
search was held and the first part-time Director was hired from
Ohio. A Board of Directors was formed and its first act was
to file for non-profit status.
On
May 22, 1960, the Pasadena Senior Center opened its doors, alive
with activities, and ready to serve the previously unmet needs
of Pasadena's seniors. It was the first private, non-profit
senior center in Southern California. Because of the collaborative
efforts of the City and the community, Ed Bignell finally saw his
vision of a senior center in Pasadena become a reality.
Ed,
now age 92, proudly says, "I think that the Pasadena Senior Center's
present and past, directors, staff, and boards, have done a wonderful
job of providing and constantly improving some of the best programs
for seniors that can be found anywhere."
Pasadena
Senior Center
Mission Statement
Return
to Top of Page The
Pasadena Senior Center is dedicated to help seniors live meaningful
lives of dignity, enjoyment and useful purpose. The Center
improves and enriches lives of seniors with opportunities to be
independent, celebrate life and reach their fullest potential by
providing:
Education,
social events, sports, recreation and volunteer opportunities;
basic support services, including: information, housing, caregivers,
employment and counseling; retirement education and advocacy training.
The
Center is an independent, nonprofit agency that welcomes all members
of the diverse, growing senior population and their families; it
serves both those in need of basic services and those ready to
use their accumulated wisdom for the good of the community.
Vision
Pasadena
Senior Center will be a recognized leader in innovative programs
and services focusing on the mature community while enriching the
lives of all we encounter. We will serve as a catalyst to
partner with our community to strive for continuous growth in serving
our diverse and changing community into the next century and beyond.
Values
Dignity
The Center endeavors to maintain and support the dignity of all who interact
with the Center.
Quality
Service
The Center will be recognized for its excellence in all that
it attempts.
Innovation
The Center will continually seek to develop programs that reach
beyond the commonplace and address in unique ways the diverse interest
and needs of the community it serves.
Leadership
Through its involvement with the community and other service
providers, the Center will contribute in a significant way to the
future of all members of the community.
Integrity
The Center will act in ways that demonstrate our commitment to
the life long well being of our clients, members and community at
large.
Diversity
Recognizing that we are members of a diverse community of skills,
knowledge, cultural heritage and ethnicity, the Center will always
seek ways to embrace diversity in all that we do.
Responsibility
We are committed to demonstrating our responsibility as individuals
and as a community resource to the betterment of the lives of the
members of our community.
Trust
We are committed to following through on all our commitments and treasure the
trust placed in us by all who benefit from our programs
and those with whom we partner to serve our Mission and in the fulfillment
of our vision.
|
