Submitted by Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli and Mignonne Peterson.
The City of Tacoma plans to close the Beacon and Lighthouse senior centers, hoping that seniors who rely on those centers will somehow seamlessly make the transition to a Metro Parks facility.
While Metro Parks does a good job with its programs, Lighthouse and Beacon are long-standing gathering sites which meet the needs of their adjacent Senior communities. They should remain open to continue to serve seniors.
Beacon (which is currently serving homeless youth as well as seniors) serves many seniors who do not drive but can walk to the center from senior housing facilities nearby. Beacon also serves some homeless seniors. Even if some seniors were able to drive, parking at People’s, the nearest Metro Parks facility, is limited.
Is the City of Tacoma willing to provide transit service to pick seniors up at their homes, drive them to Metro Parks, and back?
The City emphasizes serving the underserved. Both the Lighthouse and Beacon are located in communities which have historically been underserved. Closing two senior centers serving many low-income folks, will create instability, disruption, and unhappiness. You cannot put a cost saving amount on that action.
Currently, Beacon and Lighthouse serve low-cost meals Monday through Friday. Metro Parks is planning meals only two days a week, according to information given at a meeting at Lighthouse Senior Center on November 6th, attended by Mayor Woodards, City personnel, one City Councilperson, and Metro Parks representatives.
Seniors need a place to socialize and eat lunch during the day. The communities and connections formed among visitors to these senior centers are important. They may be the only place for socialization for isolated seniors.
The word is out that this closing of ‘homes away from homes’ for seniors is a “done deal” about which few, particularly directly impacted seniors, were informed.. Nor were these seniors invited to the decision making process in advance. That makes a large segment of our community distrustful of those we’ve elected to ‘represent’ us and our needs.
Tacoma is typically generous providing educational, recreational, and safety resources for its children and families. A reminder: seniors are a part of families: they are, in many cases the linchpin and guiding force of families. A city seeking to meet the unique needs of seniors is a boon to all families.
According to Neilsberg Research (referencing U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates) updated July 26, 2024, more than one in four — 26.15% — Tacoma residents are age 55 and over! That compares with 19.74% under age 18.
Seniors provide a large percentage of volunteer effort which keeps nonprofits viable. They are a critical ballast in these times of unpredictable change. And seniors vote more reliably than any other group!
Everybody is happier in a society which acknowledges and cares for its senior population.
We urge you to keep those senior centers open and consider expanding them in areas which underserve seniors.
We also encourage the policy makers to open a conversation about how the City of Tacoma can allocate budget and staff to seniors and make Tacoma a more senior friendly place. Let’s keep seniors’ wisdom and perspective, experience, energy and desire to improve the community, in Tacoma.
Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli is an expert in senior issues. Along with partners, she wrote grant proposals to a nonprofit as well as a City agency that would have expanded services to local seniors in the areas of food security as well as the arts.
Mignonne Peterson, a Senior, is a 47-year resident of Tacoma. She is a former member of the Urban Council, a former member of the Tacoma School Board, and a regular user of Metro Parks.
