Letter to the Editor: Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Seniors are being left out!

To the Editor: 

Do you remember voting for the VSHSL levy in 2017? This was supposed to support Veterans and Seniors throughout King County. They allocated $20M over a 5 year period for senior centers in King County. This was enough money to provide stable and adequate funding for all of the senior centers who applied for funding ($108,421 per year each).

Instead King County turned it into a competition and generously funded 25 of the 38 senior centers. The Shoreline-LFP Senior Center is the focal point for serving older adults and reached 3,508 people last year with numerous programs and services, including a partnership with Bastyr and an intergenerational program called Power of One. Shoreline has one of the largest concentrations of older adults in King County and this senior center is the only one operating in the northwest part of the county.

I have provided you with this background information in hopes that you can help our Senior Center. As a result of King County’s funding decision, we are facing a $110K deficit in 2019 and will not be able to hire a much-needed activity program coordinator. 

Please email Rob Dembowski, our King County Council representative (rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov) and Dow Constantine, the King Council Executive (kcexec@kingcounty.gov) before September 20. They will be going into a budget session on September 23 and we want them to “find” some money for our Senior Center before they go into session. We are asking them for at least $60,000. You are welcome to contact additional King County Council members if you would like to.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ginny Scantlebury 

Shoreline LFP Senior Center Board Vice President