NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
GREG GARDNER PHOTOS
Daryl Magill performs for seniors at the Adult Day Club at the Kane Center in Stuart. Monday through Friday dozens of seniors come to enjoy fellowship,
games, lunch and programs from speakers to entertainers.
Senior center combines
medical, social serviceS
BY GREG GARDNER
While the Kane Center in Stuart serves seniors as
72
its main mission, it has become a community
center of sorts, offering a variety of services
and a clinic.
Operated by the Martin County Council on Aging — celebrating
its 40th birthday next year — the facility is named for
Rae and Charles Kane, a retired CIA officer, philanthropist
and champion of the elderly. With a public-private partnership,
the $15 million building will be three years old in June
with just a $3 million mortgage to pay off.
“To integrate the medical and social support services all
under one roof is groundbreaking,” says Denise Belizar,
marketing manager at the Council on Aging. “I don’t know
of another facility that has all of the features we have. We are
creating a model for senior centers around the country.”
Florida taxpayers gave $5 million while the Frances Langford
Foundation gave the largest private donation of $2.5
million. The center’s Frances Langford Theatre & Auditorium
is named for the late movie star from Jensen Beach. With seating
for 300 diners, the room has become a huge moneymaker
for the council as it is rented out for banquets, weddings,
reunions, business meetings, proms, seminars and concerts.
The recent hearings on the state of our rivers gave the Kane
Center “a chance to shine on several fronts,” says Belizar. “It
was a test of our high-tech capability as we had 16 microphones,
simulcast video and we had to have shuttle buses for
the people.”
Full catering is available as the large kitchen churns out 450
“fresh, country-club-quality” meals a day for the Meals on
Wheels program, which is partially federally funded. Some
people qualify for free meals while others can buy them for
$6. For those with more demanding palates, “Kane Cuisine”
meals — to be reheated — are offered for $8. Special attention
requests include gluten-free, portion control, low sodium,
low carbohydrates, and warm or cold.
The state-of-the-art kitchen features glass chillers to cool
food quickly and combi-ovens that can bake and steam
simultaneously, industrial machines you would find at a
military mess hall.
“The government doesn’t give us enough money to feed
>>