The Rainier Senior Center celebrated its relationship with the Nisqually Indian Tribe with a special lunch on Wednesday, April 10. The organization welcomed tribal elder Bob Iyall, who blessed its new refrigerator and freezer that it purchased with grants from the tribe
According to volunteer Linda Johnson, Rainier Senior Center received $5,000 in grants in 2022 and another $5,000 in 2023. With it, the organization purchased the new appliances as well as emergency preparedness materials. Red Wind Casino and the Nisqually Indian Tribe donated $1.5 million in grants in 2023 and $1.4 million in 2022 to an array of community organizations and businesses.
“Grants are what help us maintain the integrity of our building. We’ve gotten grants for our new roof, painting, chairs, toilets, floors, as well as the refrigerator and freezer,” senior center volunteer George Johnson said. “We are upgrading the building itself as we go along so that it will be here for future generations.”
The Johnsons said that the new appliances are a significant upgrade from what they had before, as their previous refrigerator was about 30 years old. They said about 60 people attended the lunch, and they were grateful that Iyall represented the tribe.
“They were honored to have someone from the tribe there. I think they would very much look forward to a future relationship with the tribe. The seniors have a lot of respect for the tribe,” George Johnson said.
Iyall told the seniors during the lunch that the tribe shares a mutual respect with the town of Rainier and the Rainier Senior Center.
“They want you to know that we really do appreciate the relationship, and we’re so happy that the contributions we’ve made are going to something that will really help you guys and be of service to you guys,” said Iyall, who also serves as a Port of Olympia commissioner and the CEO of Medicine Creek Enterprise Corporation.
He went on to share the history of how the Rainier area affected the Nisqually Indian Tribe, including how it was one of their main sources of harvesting plants and for food and medicine. He said the main highway through the town was once the main trail for commerce, trade and travel between the Nisqually and Chehalis tribes.
“We’ve come a long way, and part of that is being good neighbors and building relationships with the communities that we participate in, live in and play in,” Iyall said. “It’s really our pleasure to be able to share and help folks like you get some things that will improve your lives.”
The Johnsons said they rely on the grants for upgrades as their organization is 100% self-sufficient and run by volunteers. Linda Johnson added that the senior center will continue to request grants to further supply their stock of emergency preparedness resources, including automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and an emergency kit to mount on the wall.
“We get nothing from the City of Rainier or the state or the federal government. We don’t ask for anything from them. We’ve been in business since 1976 with 100% volunteers,” she said. “We have quite a nice group of people at our senior center.”
To learn more about Rainier Senior Center and its upcoming events, visit https://www.seniorcenterofrainier.org/.
— The Chronicle’s Ridley Hudson contributed to this report.
