Council on Aging receives grants for Elks' kitchen

The kitchen at the former Elks space in Colfax will undergo a remodel thanks to three grants totaling $50,000 received by the Council on Aging. The organization will use the funds to fix up the kitchen as a community space where events can be hosted, including the Colfax senior meal.

Paige Collins, executive director at the Council on Aging and Human Services, has long wanted to see the kitchen space at the former Elks Lodge in Colfax be remodeled into a community kitchen space. Last week, she learned that vision is one step closer to becoming a reality.

“We're so excited about the kitchen,” she told the Gazette.

The Council on Aging uses the building, which is owned by Scott Ackerman, for the Colfax Pantry and has been wanting to be able to provide a community kitchen space for the Colfax senior meal and for cooking demonstrations at the pantry. A $30,000 grant for the Inland Northwest Community Foundation received last week will go toward the remodel and repair costs there.

Additionally, the Council on Aging already had $20,000 in grants from the Empire Health Foundation and Washington Federal Bank. Being able to use those grants was contingent upon receiving the final grant.

“I was getting scared,” said Collins.

Collins sent in the grant application and showed off the space to the foundation about two weeks ago. She said the foundation members were not here for long, but the visit went well.

“We gave them everything in a nutshell we'd like to do. I think they really saw our vision.”

Initial estimates had the remodel and repairs coming in around $20,000, but when it was learned that the plumbing needed to be brought up to code, that cost increased to more than $50,000. Collins said United Way has also pledged some support.

“We have unofficial word from United Way that they will support this project,” she said. “They will kind of fill in the rest.”

A timeline for the remodel and repairs has not yet been set, but Collins said she wants to get it underway as soon as possible.

“I'd love to be able to get the senior meal moved over there by the first of the year,” she said. “But contractors are really, really busy in Whitman County right now. It's just getting to be contractor season. As soon as we can get them rolling on this, we're going to start.”

The Colfax senior meal site is currently held at the Plymouth Congregational Church, and when it moves to the kitchen site, the space for it will significantly increase.

“I'd love to see that meal double in size. In Pullman, we have 100 people attending the senior meal, and there's no reason why we can't do that in Colfax,” said Collins. “Right now, though, there's no room.”

She added that in addition to having room for more people, the meal site will also have room to have speakers and entertainment at the meals and food demonstrations on pantry days. It will also be able to host meetings, including those of the Whitman County Food Coalition.

“We already meet in there for the coalition meetings, but it will be nice to have a kitchen for those,” said Collins. “And it will be nice to have everything in one spot.”

Collins also said she wants to be able to make sure there is plenty of parking for patrons of the building.

“We'll do our due diligence to make sure that there's parking,” she commented.

The grants will all go toward the re-do of the kitchen and flooring outside of the kitchen that is currently torn apart.

Collins also thanked Ackerman for allowing the use of the building. The Council on Aging is able to utilize the building for just the cost of utilities there.

“It's really such a huge benefit to the community,” she said.