Belmont Senior Center: 'Not a lot of people know about us'
For all the activities, services and the thousands of meals it provides every month, Amanda Stone says the Belmont Senior Center is still a hidden gem in Butte.
"It's an amazing asset for the community and it's sad that not a lot of people know about us and the things we offer," Stone, the center's executive director, said Monday.
The Belmont Senior Center is a nonprofit that receives state and federal dollars for its services and operations, but about a third of its funding comes from donations.
Stone hopes a lot of them come in Thursday during the center's second annual Thanks for Giving Bingo and Silent Auction Fundraiser at the Butte Elks Lodge at 206 W. Galena St. Doors open at 4 p.m. with games starting at 5 p.m.
A $10 entry fee gets you two bingo packets and three cards, additional packets are available and people can purchase meals and concessions. There's a 50/50 raffle and Stone says lots of things will be offered at the silent auction.
"We have an all-inclusive trip to Mexico," she said. "We have baskets galore. We have a lot of trips (including) a bed-and-breakfast trip in Victor. We have ski-lift tickets for Red Lodge. Everybody's been great about donating."
The Belmont serves lunch every weekday, drawing anywhere from 20 to 60 seniors each day, for a suggested donation of $6.
"People can come from anywhere in Montana," Stone said. "We don't keep track of where they come from. We have some that come from Whitehall, Deer Lodge and Anaconda."
The Center also runs the Meals on Wheels program in Butte, delivering about 1,500 lunches each week, Stone said.
The Belmont offers all kinds of other activities, too, including bingo three days a week and Pinochle twice a week. There are exercise classes, woodcarving, foot clinics by appointment, a driving course, movie days.
The Center offers rides to medical appointments Monday through Friday, $3 one-way and $5 roundtrip, and shopping rides for $10.
"We just did a big Halloween thing here where the community brought some of their kids up and we had games and pumpkin painting and the seniors passed out candy," Stone said.
"We're going to try to do something every holiday to involve our seniors and then we're going to be starting, probably after this winter, trips for our seniors to different places they want to go," Stone said.
Stone hopes Thursday's fundraiser will draw more than 200 people.
The Belmont Senior Center is governed by a 12-member volunteer board. The Center is completely accessible and there are no memberships. Anyone 55 and older can participate in its activities.
Mike Smith is a reporter at the Montana Standard with an emphasis on government and politics.
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