The Langley Senior Resources Society is officially mortgage-free.
With the presentation of a cheque for $37,333.05 from the City of Langley, the Langley Senior Recreation and Resource Centre building was paid in full this week.
“It doesn’t end with this cheque,” said acting mayor Ted Schaffer, during Tuesday’s presentation at the centre, where Langley’s seniors gather to take part in a range of programs and activities all year round.
“There is always something happening,” he said.
Among its services, the recreation centre, located at 20605 51B Ave., provides outreach programs and adult daycare. It also offers programs designed to promote both mental and physical fitness, as well as organized social events and group outings.
Shauna Sailer, chair of the LSRS board, thanked the City for its ongoing support as she accepted the grant.
“A mortgage can be a heavy burden,” said Sailer.
Having that expense removed will allow the centre to concentrate on its services and programs, she added.
Since 1998, the City has contributed $40,000 per year toward the society’s mortgage. Last December, council voted to pay out the loan, with a $74,000 contribution from the City’s 2013 enterprise fund and the balance to be paid from the 2014 budget.
However, funding for ongoing operating expenses is difficult to acquire, she said, and so the centre will continue to depend on the community for financial support — a point which Sailer and LSRC executive director Barb Stack made in a letter to the editor in Tuesday’s Times.
During his remarks, Schaffer also asked that “people who like to donate (to the LSRS) keep donating.”
