Photo by Gail WodzinJust like a ray of sunshine, Cynthia brings light to the Senior Center. In just a couple of years, Cynthia has volunteered in almost every area of our programs.
Her volunteer work with us began in 2021 after Cynthia lost her husband. A friend of hers filled out the volunteer application for her because she could see that Cynthia needed to get out of her house and find joy in her community again. That is exactly what Cynthia says she found here. “This place brought out my joy and happiness again.”
She began as a front desk receptionist and then moved on to volunteering at Margie’s Café where she enjoys serving up yummy lunches on Fridays. Cynthia also loves to give tours and share all the exciting things about the Senior Center with new people who walk through our doors. Most recently, she has also started to use her creative flair to help with the window displays in the Stop ‘N Shop thrift store. She may also be the one serving you lunch at our monthly birthday lunches. Cynthia wears so many hats here, and she wears each one with style and grace.
Cynthia was born in Guam and, because her dad was in the Navy, they moved a lot before landing in Seattle. Because of moving so often, she enjoyed volunteering at a young age to get to know people. She lived on Capitol Hill with her three brothers and three sisters and attended Holy Names Academy. She has now lived in West Seattle for nearly 50 years. She worked as a manager at both West Seattle Safeways, a career that allowed her to meet and get to know most of the West Seattle community.
Cynthia has two children and five grandkids who she sees regularly. While raising her children, all the neighborhood kids loved to be at “Mama Cindi’s” house and raid the refrigerator. She still prides herself in having an open-door policy, and she loves to throw parties. She’s also close to her own 97-year-old mom and says her three favorite places are her own home, her mom’s home and the Senior Center of West Seattle. Cynthia’s kindness and generosity spill over into everything she does at the Senior Center.
By Sara Sara Hanson-Andreu, Volunteer Coordinator