The St. Michaels Senior Center had a soft reopening this Wednesday, June 18, welcoming back elders of the St. Michaels community and other local centers.
Initially, the St. Michaels Senior Center closed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remained closed due to no staffing. Through that time, the Fort Defiance Senior Center partnered with the senior center to provide meals and transportation during its closure.
With its $6 million renovation, the St. Michael’s Senior Center hired new staff, including a kitchen cook and a transportation driver. This allows the center to resume its services to feed elders and provide transportation to and from the senior center.
Other additional services include transportation to take elders to their doctor’s appointments, transport to get groceries, and providing home deliveries if elders qualify for it.
With this reopening, there were some minor updates like the repainting of walls, replacement of doorknobs, and cleaned floors with major improvements underway.
“We haven’t been operational here for a long time, and it was important to make sure that we have an opportunity to feed senior citizens,” said Gabriel Freeman, St. Michael’s President-Elect.
The center will serve lunch starting at 11 a.m., Monday through Friday. This is open to any seniors 60 years or older.
“I want my elders in each community to be able to get the service that DALTCS (Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support) has to offer. That’s my goal, and it makes me happy when I open one more center,” said Lesita Desiderio, Program Supervisor II of Fort Defiance Agency for DALTCS.
An appreciation goes to the DALTCS staff, Fort Defiance Senior Center, Lupton Senior Center staff, and the St. Michael’s community for coming together to reopen a space that takes care of elders.
The importance of senior centers, especially for our elders, strengthens our communities with their wisdom and life experience. Without our precious elderly, we would not be here. I’m grateful to push and sign legislation and contracts that provide the best care and services for our cherished older populations.
-Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren
