Salem Statesman-Journal: Meet our Mid-Valley: Volunteers play key role in operating Salem's Center 50+
By 2030, 1 in 6 people worldwide will be over the age of 60. In Salem, many of these older residents are served by Center 50+.
The community center geared toward older people at 2615 Portland Road NE offers more than 200 programs and services, a fitness center, retirement planning, a woodshop, classes, respite programs and artisan shops. Its average daily attendance in 2024 was 712.
Services at Center 50+ are at risk of being cut. If the five-year levy on the May ballot that would fund the library, parks and Center 50+ does not pass, two paid positions at the center will be cut, according to the proposed 2026 budget.
The center depends heavily on volunteers, so the eliminated positions could impact classes and services. In 2024, 465 volunteers gave 105,000 hours of their time to teach classes, drive people and help operate the center.
