Member Spotlight- McPherson Senior Center
At a Chamber Connections event, Sally Scott, Director of the McPherson Senior Center, highlighted recent renovations completed after a grease explosion caused significant damage. Upgrades include a new commercial refrigerator funded by grants, a memorial-funded dishwasher, and a new serving window. A plumbed‑in coffee maker has become a favorite addition, and annual coffee sponsorships are available for $125 to keep coffee priced at 25 cents for seniors. The Center’s next major project will focus on expanding and improving ADA‑accessible bathrooms.
The event drew a strong turnout, with attendees enjoying the refreshed space. 
The Senior Center is available for after‑hours rental for $60 plus a $50 deposit, while many community groups—such as Bridge and Bunko clubs, a grief group, and an upcoming Caregiver Support group—use the space for free during open hours.
The gathering coincided with commodity distribution day, one of the Center’s busiest operations. The Council on Aging and Mid Kansas Cooperative transport food from the food bank to the Center, where staff and volunteers divide it for McPherson and surrounding communities. The Center consistently serves about 45 households.
The dining room remains open and welcoming to all. Through a revised partnership with the Cedars, the Silver Spoon meal program offers $4 meals for seniors and $7 meals for others, with frozen meals also available. Scott also promoted the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which provides federal funding to hire seniors—employees she praised for their reliability. Some of these seniors help in the dining room.
Transportation services, coordinated by Linda Polson, include two vehicles and three drivers offering low‑cost rides: $1 within McPherson, $10 roundtrip to Lindsborg or Salina, and $20 roundtrip to Wichita. The Center provided more than 3,500 rides last year, including out‑of‑town transport, a service added about 18 months ago.
Volunteers are needed and remain essential to the Center’s operations, assisting with bingo, carrying commodity boxes, delivering meals, and supporting numerous other services that help the Center thrive
The Senior Center recently held its annual meeting and welcomed two new board members. Current board members pictured include (R to L) Joe Johnson, Rob Mackey, Madalyn Rhea, Marlane Shandy, Mary Steffes, Aggie Windholz, and Sandra Van Fossen, with (not pictured) Jana Koehn, President Garry Erickson, Lanae Powell, and Richard Johnson also serving. All of the photos from the event can be found here.