At an age when most folks would be content to sleep in late and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, the dynamic duo of Betty and Mary are dressed and heading over to CASA Senior Center in Prescott Valley to make sure the kitchen staff is ready to prepare the “happy meals on wheels” that get delivered to residents in the area who rely on a hot meal showing up on the doorstep. They also want to be there to greet the seniors who show up each day to participate in the many activities at the center, or stop by for lunch in the dining room to enjoy a hot, nutritious meal surrounded by friends and neighbors.
“It’s a joy to come to work every day. Every day is different,” says Betty Robinson, executive director of Central Arizona Seniors Association, or CASA Senior Center as many area residents know it. CASA is a 501c3 non-profit and unlike other meal-delivery agencies, is not funded by the federal government, so all of the money they rely on to keep the center open and the food program going is provided by local support, grants and donations. They’ve been serving the community for over 40 years now, thanks to volunteers and staff who make sure everyone who walks in the door is greeted with a smile and offered a hot meal, no matter what their financial resources are.
Betty started as a volunteer back in 1998 and as she became more involved, recognized how important volunteers are to the success of the program. She became the executive director in January 2004 and a decade later, recruited Mary Baker, who had worked for many years for the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, to join the team and serve as president of the CASA board of directors.
Mary is particularly proud of the way they continued to serve a hot meal 5 days a week during the COVID-19 pandemic, only shutting down for a few months before working with the governor’s office to figure out how they could re-open under strict guidelines to get food to those who needed it most. “Betty and I met every rule they gave us, and for short time while our dining room was closed, we packaged the meals up and delivered them outside as a drive-through. Our drivers delivered too. People still need to eat!”
The CASA Senior Center is located at 9360 Manzanita Circle in Prescott Valley. When you stop by, you’ll probably catch a glimpse of Betty leading a chair yoga class or Mary putting out the latest fashion donations on the “new arrivals” rack. Whether you’re looking for treasures in their thrift shop, stopping by for a few games of Bingo or picking up some good deals on donated bakery items and pantry supplies, or just need to see some friendly faces and enjoy a cup of coffee, CASA has it all under one roof!
