Calling them the “backbone of our operations,” Mike Cooper proudly notes the many nutrition, food service, health and well-being programs being offered at the Mountlake Terrace Community Senior Center — with more on the way.

Cooper, who serves as the senior group’s Executive Director, was in his chef’s hat and food service smock during the center’s first Community Breakfast on May 3. The breakfast is one of a number of new programs that are being added each month by the senior center, all in an effort to better serve their target audience and the community.

The senior center opened in the former Ballinger Clubhouse, 23000 Lakeview Dr., in January and has been steadily adding more programs to its offerings. A $3 lunch for seniors 60 and older has been served on Wednesday and Fridays since early February, and now a $4 soup and sandwich lunch will be added on Thursdays beginning May 15.

In addition to its various food service offerings, the center is concentrating on providing a range of wellness and fitness programs. Seniors can make appointments for dental and foot care, and chair yoga classes were recently added to the center’s schedule.

While the senior center offers opportunities for other activities, classes, games and trips, Cooper stressed that it’s the nutrition, health and well-being programs that are most important to reaching the goals of the center. “That’s where we’re going to focus, because that’s what a lot of seniors need,” Cooper said.

The Community Breakfast will be a regular fixture on the center’s calendar, with eggs, sausage, bacon and hash browns being served up on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 — 11 a.m. for $5. Other offerings will be one-time events, such as the “Little Bit of Italy” spaghetti dinner set for May 13.

The senior center has grown to more than 300 members since its move to Ballinger Park. You can learn more about the group and its programs here.

— Story and photo by Doug Petrowski