Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. was established in 1981 with a mission to provide for the lives of seniors living in the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys and to enable seniors to live
as independently as possible for as long as possible.
Contributed by Chuck Foster, Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc.
The Wasilla Senior Center was founded in 1978 as an activity center. In 1981, Frank Smith donated land and Wasilla Senior Center was relocated to its current location and incorporated as Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc (WASI). The building itself was named the Floyd D. Smith Community Center in loving memory of Frank Smith’s father. Today, in keeping with our mission, WASI provides services and resources to promote health and independence for all Seniors. WASI is pleased to have been voted “Best of the Valley” in Senior Care for the past seven years running!
Apartment Living: Wasilla Area Senior Housing consists of six housing complexes: five at our campus in Wasilla and one at our Mid-Valley location in Houston. Together, we offer 136 units for those 62 years of age and older. Each building has a common area for congregate games, hobbies, reading or TV. Surrounding the housing complexes are large grassy areas and a picnic pavilion complete with a gas grill and gazebo-covered seating. To meet the growing need, WASI will construct a new, 40-unit apartment building for seniors 55+, which opens in 2021.
Health and Wellness Program: Our Health and Wellness Program is housed in Club 50, a fitness center for individuals 50 years of age and up. Club 50 provides modern exercise equipment and offers a variety of fitness classes including: Strong Seniors, Tai Chi, NIA, and more. WASI also offers short-term classes on healthy living and disease management. We provide fall prevention activities tailored to individual need including advocacy and education, exercise and fall risk assessments.
In-Home Services: WASI offers affordable assistance in senior’s homes, providing housekeeping and other chore services, and respite care when family members don’t want to leave an elderly family member alone, but need to be away. As with other WASI programs, these services are made affordable, even for low-income seniors, through our sliding fee scale. And like other services, they help seniors stay in the home and community of their choice for as long as possible.
Transportation: Sometimes getting places can be a chore, so WASI offers individualized transportation services for seniors 60+ who need a little assistance. We offer on-demand rides for an affordable fee – or by donation for rides to essential services such as banking, shopping or personal care.
Mary Hall Lending Library: The Mary Hall Lending Library has hundreds of popular and fascinating books, many in paperback, audio and large-print format. The library offers a computer lab with free internet access available for public use. WASI even offers training – led by seniors - for seniors wanting to increase their computer skills.
Lunch in our Dining Room: WASI provides well-balanced, delicious lunches Monday through Friday from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm. All meals consist of soup, entree, vegetables, salad and dessert. Fruit juices, milk, coffee and tea are available during meal-time. Through our lunch transportation service, we can even help seniors get to the senior center for lunch if they can’t drive themselves.
Home-Delivered Meals on Wheels: Fresh, delicious meals are delivered each weekday to homebound seniors. On delivery days, we provide a fresh meal, plus frozen meals the senior can reheat on weekends and holidays. This program helps to ensure that no senior goes hungry and helps older Alaskans to remain in their own home and living independently for as long as possible.
In 2020, WASI served 99,150 meals in our dining rooms and through Meals on Wheels.
Additional Services:
· Chaplain Services: lay counseling, visitation, prayer, bible study, daily devotion, referrals.
· Games: pinochle, bridge, cribbage, poker, puzzles and bingo – if you enjoy games, there’s a group waiting for you.
· Equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, etc.) is available for lending, based on availability.
· Copy, fax and notary public services.
· Assistance with forms for applying for the Alaska Commodity Supplemental Food Program CSFP), Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), Alaska PFD, income tax and more.
At WASI, we believe seniors deserve dignity and respect; and serving seniors is our passion. All our efforts focus on helping seniors achieve the quality of life they need, so they can remain in the home and community they choose.
Wasilla Area Seniors is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.