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The East Palo Alto Senior Center will be reopening on Friday, June 17, after shutting down for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, city officials announced.
The Senior Center, located at 560 Bell St., will resume all operations, programs and services, according to the city.
“No one ever expected that a pandemic would occur nor that it would last over two years,” said Millicent Grant, executive director of the center. “Thankfully, the senior center had and continues to provide food for the seniors that are shut-in.”
East Palo Alto Mayor Ruben Abrica was equally as excited about the reopening.
“With this joint reopening, we will strengthen the collaboration of city, county and Senior Center Incorporated to provide more services to our multicultural senior community.”
The official reopening will take place on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be a ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with musical performances and a recognition of senior honorees. Food and drinks will be provided.
The mayor will be in attendance, along with other elected county officials, East Palo Alto City Council members, and seniors, of course.
Visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks despite their vaccination status. Social distancing will also be respected.
Working with Peninsula Food Runners, I have had the opportunity to take food donations to the East Palo Alto Senior Center many, many times. The article describes Ms. Grant as the director — true enough, but that doesn’t cover it by half. She is a Bay Area treasure. Although the Center provides support mainly for local residents and groups (churches, shelters, etc.), on more than one occasion she told me that she was taking a load of food across the bay to Oakland, to feed folks who lived under freeway bridges. She reaches out to and welcomes everyone. During the COVID shutdown people couldn’t come to the Center, so she figured out a way to get food to them, in their homes. All of Palo Alto, not just EPA, is very lucky to have her and all of the folks who run and support the Senior Center.