Five Star Center was founded in 1976 by members of five neighborhood churches who identified a growing need to support the health and independence of seniors and adults with disabilities by providing nutritious meals and a place to gather. As a result of their collaborative efforts, the center, then known as Five Church Older Adult Center, became a vital part of the community. Now, Five Star Center is an independent, 501(c)(3) organization not affiliated with any religious group or congregation.
Take a look at the timeline below for a brief look into the history of Five Star Center as well as the wonderful building we call home!
1936
Our building was a local grocery store from 1936 to 1977. We love the history of this location and that we can continue the legacy of providing nutritious meals to the community!
1976
In 1976, five community churches came together to form a nonprofit organization to help serve seniors and adults with disabilities in the community.
1977
Our current location became H&K Furniture. This location served the community until a fire completely destroyed the shop in 2000.
2001
In December of 2001, we broke ground at our new location. Through the help of our Alderman we were able to acquire a new space!
2002
In December of 2002 we hosted our grand opening and welcomed the community to our new space on Arsenal and Oregon we still call home. This larger facility allows us to host more clients and serve this community we love!
2005
In 2005 we changed our name to Five Star Senior Center. We would soon drop the word senior and simply go by Five Star Center.
2020
Thanks to the hard work of our Trivia volunteers, we completed construction of our new garage and outdoor patio space. This group raised over $100,000 in 10 years to ensure we could safely store our large buses and have an outdoor space for our seniors!