Senior Center Thinks Outside of the Box by Desiree Toli - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Senior Center Thinks Outside of the Box

By Desiree Toli, Community Writer
July 23, 2014 at 12:57pm. Views: 86

Who doesn’t like a bargain? It’s hard to resist a pair of jeans, a vintage flower vase, wall décor, or a pair of shoes for a dollar, and even harder for just loose pocket change. The Redlands Community Senior Center makes bargain shopping a breeze every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside of the Redlands Community Senior Center. The center is located on Lugonia Avenue and accepts used goods donations and puts the items on display at the “Thrifty Boutique.” “I just bought this shirt,” Perlita Velasco, 67, of Redlands said as she showed her friends her recent purchase. “I got it for one dollar right there in the office,” Velasco said. Velasco, like many of other seniors, visits the center to have lunch every afternoon. The center offers seniors with a hot lunch every afternoon for a suggested donation of three dollars, but seniors can pay whatever they can afford. For five dollars non-seniors can also have lunch. “I bring something every Thursday because I figure somebody can use it. It makes me happy when [my donations] go to somebody who can use it, I know a lot of seniors don’t have a lot of money, and they can have it for whatever they can afford,” said Donna Kenney-Cash, a retired special ed teacher, as she sewed in the Thursday quilting class. Liz Thurman bought the store-bought quilt that Kenney-Cash donated. “I plan to give it to a cousin that needs a bedspread. Some people don’t look, but I do, I find good things," she said. Throughout the day, visitors, coming to the center to play bingo or meet up with friends and even people walking by the center stopped to look through the table of donated goods that make up the thrifty boutique. Some for the first time, others returning customers. Friends, Mila Gutierrez, Redlands, a regular boutique visitor, brought her friend Marie Cruz, to the boutique to take a look at the items available. “They have good stuff and it’s just for a donation,” Gutierrez said. Her favorite find was a Virgin Mary statue that she now displays proudly in her home. The two women looked through the clothes and purchased a few items on their way out of the center. “It’s all very nice,” Marie Cruz, Redlands, said as she looked through the donated blouses. All the proceeds from the Thrifty Boutique go into a petty cash account that allows the center to have extra activities such as, birthday and holiday parties. Donated items are accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the center. When donated items are not sold, they are put away for the next event. When items stock up and do not sell, the donated goods are then donated to Goodwill.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 886

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1718

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 2860

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 956

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1938

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 844

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 1052

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 2314

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 994

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 771

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 1053

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 947

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->