It won’t be easy replacing Laurel Alkire, who’s retired after serving as executive director of Senior Services, Inc., for more than two decades. The nonprofit operates for Meals on Wheels, four senior centers and a senior employment program in Wichita.
“She’s been the face of seniors and services in this community,” said Donna Johnson, chair of the organization’s board of directors. “A really special person. My favorite thing about watching Laurel was her interaction with our clients. She just kind of lit up working with them and getting to know them.”
Alkire’s last day as executive director was May 30.
“It’s always been a struggle,” Alkire said of running a nonprofit. “There have been things we’ve wanted to do that we haven’t been able to do. But I think we serve a lot of people with the money we have.”
Senior Services, Inc., has begun a search for her replacement. The organization has 27 employees and hundreds of volunteers.
Alkire traces her career to the fact that she was close to her grandmother growing up. When Alkire’s mother discovered that she’d been adopted, Alkire got to know her biological grandmother as well.
“I was just always taking care of older people. I don’t know where that came from.”
She earned a master’s degree in aging studies for Wichita State University and was hired to run the senior employment program at Senior Services in 1987. She left in 1990 to run the local Alzheimer’s Association chapter, then returned in 2002 to take over form Judy Finnell at Senior Services.
“Judy was a great boss, and she was also fun.”
Senior Service currently delivers Meals on Wheels to about 750 lower-income, homebound people each weekday. About 100 of the most vulnerable are also served on weekends.
It runs four senior centers — Downtown (200 S. Walnut), Linwood (1901 S. Kansas), Northeast (2121 E. 21st) and Orchard Park (4808 W. 9th). Its employment program placed about 1,000 people 55 and older in jobs last year.
The organization relies on a combination of funding from the federal government, Sedgwick County and private donations.
“It (funding) is pretty finite,” Alkire said. “What I’ve read is only one percent of all the grants and places that give out money go to seniors.”
At times, the waiting list for Meals on Wheels has numbered as many as 300 people. Alkire said the money Senior Services receives from Sedgwick County for its senior centers has remained stagnant for 30 years.
Several years ago, Senior Services started charging a $35 annual fee for senior center members, which Alkire conceded was “a hard sell”
“There was a lot of push-back but we said we can’t keep doing it (at no cost) forever.”
Exercise classes, ranging from chair yoga to fairly high-impact classes, are the centers’ most popular activities, but educational courses, crafts, field trips and many more activities are offered. (For a complete schedule, visit seniorservicesofwichita.org.)
Senior Services utilizes hundreds of vetted and trained volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels. In addition to providing nutrition, the program ensures that recipients are seen by somebody every day.
Alkire said those recipients “are so connected to our wonderful volunteers. We know these volunteers go out of their way and do stuff for them.”
Senior Services moved to its current location — the former St. George Orthodox Church in Delano — in 1991, after the city booted it out of the Boathouse. In 2017-18, a $4 million renovation transformed the kitchen and added a second floor for offices.
“The new kitchen was the biggest thing,” Alkire said. “We were having to have product (for Meals on Wheels) brought in every day” because of a lack of storage and prep space.
For years, Senior Services held an annual celebrity roast to raise money. Its biggest annual fundraiser now is Picklepalooza, a pickleball tournament held at Chicken N Pickle. Senior Services likely introduced pickleball to Wichita during the 1990s, although its popularity didn’t take off until later.
The various programs at Senior Services work together, Alkire said. For instance, the classes and other activities at the centers help keep people from needing Meals on Wheels. “That’s what keeps them going — and making friends” at the centers, Alkire said.
When people do begin receiving Meals on Wheels, that helps them to stay in their own homes longer. “We keep people at home — that’s where we all want to be — for as long as possible.”
Johnson said the board has served a search committee and will hopefully hire someone in the next few months.
“We have a really good leadership team in place We want to make a decision that’s a good one going in the future. We think there are probably a lot of good local people who may be interested” in the post.
Alkire said she will probably continue to stay involved with seniors in some way and may take a part-time job some day, but for now, she’s planning to work around the house and enjoy spending time with family and friends.
“In the summer, we’re at the lake a lot. We’re big lake people.”
