BANGOR, Maine — It’s been tough times for the Hammond Street Senior Center since founders John and Elaine Couri exited the scene, which is why Executive Director Kathy Bernier is out promoting two upcoming fundraisers.
“We have a budget of $379,000 a year and membership fees of $100 a year,” Bernier said. “We have about 500ish active dues-paying members. That doesn’t come close to covering the costs.”
The Hammond Street Senior Center, located in the old Merrill Bank building, was founded in 1999 by the Couris of Connecticut, who had Bangor ties and saw a need for a place seniors could gather and socialize. The Couris paid all the bills until 2011 when they gifted the building to members and issued their last check for $200,000, Bernier said.
“Prior to that everything was free” for members, she said.
Since then, center operators have added the membership fee, asked for donations from communities where their members live, looked for grant funds and organized annual fundraisers, two of which are scheduled for April.
In years past, many of the communities where members live have made donations but hard economic times have cut that revenue stream severely, Bernier said.
“This is where it’s been very hard,” she said. “Hampden has said in the past two years that they can’t give. Brewer no longer donates. All told $16,000 comes in [from communities] and $9,900 of that is from Bangor. Add that to the $50,000 raised by the membership fee and it’s up to us for the rest of it.”
The senior center, which offers Bangor region residents age 55 and older a gathering place with classes, meals, a fitness center, games and presentations, is very short on funds, the executive director said.
To offset the costs, the center’s annual noon Pottery Luncheon is April 8 and “Circus” an all-member play will be performed 4 p.m. April 16, 7 p.m. April 17 and April 18, and 2 p.m. April 19.
“The Pottery Luncheon — we do this every year,” Bernier said. “Our members have made 100 pottery bowls and then local restaurants and businesses donate big pots of soup or cream puffs or whatever they do best to fill the bowls. Your bowl is your ticket to the luncheon.”
The senior center is still looking for donations from local food shops and eateries that would like to be included in the luncheon event.
Member Paul Rich has been busy creating “our most elaborate stage and scenery” for the upcoming play, “Circus,” written by Kelly Gilks, with help and advice from members Rollin Stearn and Paula Moore.
“It has a bearded lady, strong man, conjoined twins — it’s two sisters and they are hysterical — and fortune tellers,” Bernier said.
“Our cat, Johnny, he may make a walk across the stage. He’s done it every year so I expect him to do it again,” she said later.
Tickets to the show are $10.
The senior center also holds an annual used-book sale, pie sale, a vacation raffle and Basket Case event each December. The members donate the books, bake the pies and make the baskets, which also feature donations from Bangor’s business community, Bernier said.
“It’s not sustainable,” the executive director said of the center’s budget. “We run on a shoestring and right now our budget is very tight.”
Those who would like to learn more can go to hammondstreet.org, call 262-5532, or stop by and visit the senior center located at 2 Hammond St. in downtown Bangor.