New Gallup senior center to offer expanded services and amenities

Posted by Donovan Quintero | Feb 6, 2025 | News |

By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times

GALLUP – The city of Gallup is moving forward with plans to build a new senior center that will provide expanded services and amenities for the community’s growing senior population. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held on Monday, Feb. 3, next to the Harold Runnels recreation center.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Stan Parker leans over the billiards table as he carefully aims his pool stick to strike the ball during a nine-ball against Norbert Peshlakai, right, on Monday in Gallup at the Gallup Senior Center.

Kimberly Ross-Toledo, the senior programs manager for the city of Gallup, provided details on the features of the new senior center. The current facility serves around 180-200 seniors daily, but the new center will have a larger cafeteria that can accommodate up to 220 people.

“The new one has a larger cafeteria so we can serve more people,” Ross-Toledo said. “Right now, we have lunch open two hours a day. We’re serving about 180 to 200 daily. And then with this new facility, I think the capacity is like 220 which is nice.”
In addition to the expanded cafeteria, the new senior center will also include specialized rooms for activities like arts and crafts, health and wellness classes, and a billiards room. The current facility has activity rooms scattered throughout, but the new design will group them for better organization.

“We also will have a billiards room, because billiards is a big thing, so they’ll have their own room,” Ross-Toledo explained. “Finally, they won’t be in the middle of the front office, and we’ll have (the) office much more accessible right now, in this old building.”

To read the full article, please see the Feb. 6, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.