Auction hopes to cook up meal program funds

SANDPOINT — As part of its meals program, the Sandpoint Senior Center prepares more than 30,000 meals for area seniors every year, but with the cost of gas and food rising to new heights, the center is faced with the daunting task of raising enough money to keep the program afloat.

The center, which delivers more than 2,000 meals per month in addition to its on site meals, collects 35 percent of its annual food budget from state and federal funds, leaving as much as $120,000 to be raised from local individuals and businesses.

In conjunction with its ongoing fundraising campaign, the center is hosting its third annual dinner and auction on Oct. 10. Organizers will auction a bicycle worth $450, a new leather chair and a pallet of wood pellets, among many other diverse items.

Feeding seniors is the obvious cornerstone of the meals program, but its ancillary benefits are nearly as valuable, said Norma White, the center's director.

White said it would be difficult to put a price tag on the social benefits of bringing groups of seniors together to eat and interact.

"For the people that are home bound, the delivery driver may be the only person they see all day," White said. "And one of the nice things about the drivers is they get to know these people and they know if something's different. So it's kind of a gatekeeper program along with delivering the meals."

The 7 p.m. auction will have elements of both live and silent bidding and is open to the public. There will also be a $15 dinner at 5 p.m., and tickets need to be purchased in advance.

To donate money or auction items, or to purchase diner tickets, contact White at 263-6860 or drop stop by the center at 820 Main St.