Melba Valley Senior Center

About Melba Valley Senior Center

The Melba Senior Center has been a labor of love. In the late '80s a group of interested people got together and visited other centers, deciding that they needed a home of their own. Thus began a rash of fundraisers that would bring thousands of dollars to the cause. As a senior organization, The Melba Valley Senior Citizens, Inc. met for meals at the American Legion hall in Melba. Always driven for a place of their own, they approached the City to include the funding of the center in their budget. They applied once in about 1987 for a grant. They were turned down and reapplied the next year. They received a grant for $99,187. The bid for construction was $219,000. In short order, banks, businesses and individuals pledged $82,000. The value of the property it would sit on (donated by the city) was worth $25,000. That left a mere $13,000 to be raised. Needless to say, the grants were awarded, pledges were honored and with the generosity of many, the building was built in 1990. The Center is open two days a week regularly on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Thursdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meals are served on Tuesdays 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and Thursdays beginning at noon. The Center has served as a community meeting place for large groups. It serves banquets for high school athletics, funeral dinners and anniversary and birthday celebrations. It is the voting place for county, state and national elections and much more.