History of the BetterLivingCenter (Spokane Health Education Department)
Current Address: 25 E North Foothills Dr, Spokane WA 99207
Mailing Address: PO BOX 48124, Spokane WA 99228
(509)325-1258
1973
The first Health Education Center
was started (1973) in a small building near the Conference Office on Monroe
& Indiana by Dan Hall who doubled as its director and conference health
secretary along with Dr. Max Hammond as a volunteer medical director. Dr
Hammond was then in the air force.
1976
When the cost of the rent was
raised the board considered buying a building for Health Education which became
the present facility on the corner of Buckeye and Division streets. This
building was purchased in 1976 for $63,000 ($61,300.00) June 30, 1976 and “approximately $14,000 spent
for renovations. It was formerly an auto parts store. The property was bought from the City of Spokane.
Moved in January 1977.
When the activities at the Center
demanded more time than Dan could spend and do the Conference work as well,
Keith Kendall took the leadership for approximately three years. Carolyn
whalers followed Keith and carried the main leadership for one to two years
until Ben Stiles was hired as a full-time health educator for two to three
years.
Dr. Warren Peters and his wife Jeannie who had been actively
involved in the health education program at the Center until they moved away
recently, assumed a voluntary leadership at the Center as time permitted. They
were assisted by pastors and doctors Prewitt and Murphy doing five day plans
and Angie and Gary Bartholomew and various team couples teaching natural foods
cooking classes.
1980 York
computer-controlled champion heat pump March
21, 1980 $2155.00
1983 Alice Breakie was a paid director $100 month
5 – Day plan classes held
cooking classes; family finance; heart check; stress
control; parenting classes; blood pressure; bread making class; home
treatments; weight management all services were charged for.
1984 1984-Director Alice
Breakie, Gordon Birchell board Chair, Irene Allen Secretary.
February 6, 1984
officially called The Better Living Center Previously known as Spokane Health
Education Department. Margaret Haas Was in charge of the Health Education
classes.
SJA Food Drive
The Adventist Awareness Advertising Program Fund Raising
Dinner was held at 5:30 p.m. on
Sunday November 17 at the Sheraton Hotel.
1984 Van Ministry, 7/26/84
Linwood, Central & South Hill Dorcas
The Health net work and the Dorcas were separate
New Hot Water Heater
October 12-14 Booth @ the Food Fair, Fair grounds
1985 1985-1987 Ivan Allen Director
All volunteer help
Gas mileage reimbursement
1985 2850 People served, 3832 pounds of food
1985-Alice Breakie resigns due to financial need
$13,000
proposed budget
Margaret
Haas Teaches health classes; vegetarian cooking classes.
Feb 4, 1985 – 1987 Mary Acton Director Community Services (Dorcas)
1986 1986 -2,285 people were served, 572 house holds. 5573 pounds of food
Bristol Air Conditioning/Heat pump installed 6/10/86 Wayne Smith Heating
1987 1987 Elbert Housley Director, Mark Scheufler Assistant
Director, Ann Housley Central SDA Dorcas, Mary Acton Linwood SDA Dorcas
Cooking Classes
and Breath Free Classes
Quilting,
Purchase of
copy machine
4738
persons visited the center; 645 house holds; 30,025 pounds of food.
Literature
was distributed
Tuesdays Central
Thursdays Linwood
1988 1988 Gertrude Rudd Director BLC
Run by two churches Tuesday’s 10:00-2:30
Central 10 volunteers: Thursdays 10:00-2:30
Linwood, 14 volunteers.
Case records were kept and as many as possible the clients
were visited
Sorting, mending & laundering clothing. Packing ADRA
boxes
Locks
were changed
Furnace
Installed
Quilts were
for sale the average person paid $20.00 the needy paid $10.00
Stop
Smoking classes $30.00
Roof
Completed @ a cost of $335.66
Large Vietnamese
population
$2280 Food
bank allocation
$10,053 a
quarter on food out side the allocation
4351
people Served, 1087 House holds. 31,335
pounds of food. 5,720 volunteer hours
October 1988 Elbert Housley Director: Mark Scheurler
Assistant Director
20X35.5 Addition East end of building, steel siding &
Roof at a total cost of $ 11,101.20
1964 Ford Van donated by Jin Eiseman
Bazaar/Sale
in the SJA Gym July 31- August 5
Adventist
Health Network Reorganization
$250.00
AHN paid in rent 1/5 of the BLC to the BLC
Jess Pankey
March 9&10 Bazaar
1989
Gertrude Rudd Community Services Center Director & South
Hill church
Jess Pankey
Director Linwood
Church
Ann
Hurd Director Central
Church
4/29/ 89 Don Mattson Director: Elbert Houslely Assistant
Director
Glenn
Murphy Board Chairman
Signs/West and South
New signs on the building
New Hot Water Tank
New mini blinds installed
Sell the 1964 van
11,536
People; 3155 house holds; 21,802
pounds of food; 979 volunteer hours
10/18/89-1991 James (Jim) Lynn Director
1990
1990 Sign on East Side
New Carpet
$3846.96 and new Roof $3773.00 (5yr warranty)
$1067.14
for Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program
Bazaar Held
Cooking,
Breath Free and Health Classes taught
Already 3
layers of roofing material on the roof
15697
Persons; 1545 House Holds; 31,282
pounds of food; 9486 volunteer Hours
1991 1991- 1992 Jim Lynn Community Services Director
Gertrude
Rudd Director BLC
Rented the
Garage
Purchase of
new freezer
August 22, 1991 got BLC ID TAX Number
Food
allocation was $5.00 per person
Breathe
Free Classes & Films
Bazaar held at Franklin Park Mall
1991 13726 persons; 872 house holds;
24,704 pounds
of food; 2185 volunteer hours
1992
1992 Mary
Acton Federation President
James Lynn Chairman & BLC Director
Glenn Murphy Assistant Chairman
Dumpster
installed
Fall Bazaar went well
$305,000.00 property Value
Fair Booth; stop smoking clinic; one-day program on stress;
cooking classes; blood pressures.
1992
- 5604 Persons; 421 house holds; 13003 pounds of food; 2485
volunteer hours
1993
1993 Jim Lynn
Chair of board, Glenn Murphy assistant Director
August 93 Glenn Murphy Board Chair.
Alice Uptain Treasurer
Metal door installed on East end for service purposes only
all others to enter either at 15 or 25 Foothills per City Ordinance
State Purchased 4,367 sq ft of land for Division
Street widening
Widening of Foothills
10/26/93
Mary Acton- New Leader with Ken Noah
$316,200.00 Value
1994
1994 lot leveled
& graveled
Ken Noah Assistant
Director
Ruby Street
Improvement
Alice Upton Treasure
Crash Bars installed
on doors
Food & Clothing
Bank, Furniture & Beds
1995
Blood Pressure;
Breath Free; Bed; food
Air conditioner
repaired
Stop Smoking class
held
Food & Clothing
Bank, Furniture & Beds
1996
Yard Sale
$712.63
Blood Pressure; food;
clothing; beds
Central & Linwood
Supporting Churches
Drywell put in
1997
Sept 1997 Board meeting
New Freezers; Snow
Blower
Food & Clothing
Bank, Furniture & Beds
2001
March: Better Living
Center Board and the community
Services Board combined.
May 10, 2001
Sub Community Board
December 13, 2001 last recorded board meeting
“The greatest good you can do for others is not to give your
riches to them but to help them discover the riches in themselves. In other
words help people discover opportunities that are open to latent skills,
abilities, and qualities that they themselves posses.” Stanley
Gelliniau.
Chevy pickup purchased from Glenn Murphy
Paid janitor
Food; Beds; Quilts: Clothing; some furniture distributed
4128 Clients Served
2788 Volunteer hours
66,014 pounds of food distributed
Food: Clothing; Bed; Layettes; Quilts
2002
Spokane's Better
Living Center
August 2004
Gleaner : Upper Columbia Conference - Spokane
Center Offers
Spokane Center
Offers
Food, Clothes and Hope
The good work of Spokane's
Better Living Center (BLC) has expanded to benefit thousands during its 30
years of operation with the support of the Central, Linwood and Southhill
churches.
Located in a prime spot, thousands of vehicles drive past
the BLC daily and are greeted by signs advertising Positive Life Radio,
stop-smoking classes and soon, He's Alive television and the Adventist
Book Center.
Ken Noah, 82, senior volunteer coordinator and manager of
the BLC since 1993, is quick to assert that the center's 27 volunteers are the
ones who make it possible to serve the people of north Spokane.
In 2003 alone, the BLC distributed more than 400,000 pounds to needy people,
including fresh vegetables provided by local Adventist gardeners.
Noah and his volunteers have expanded the supplies of the
BLC to include, when available, furniture, refrigerators, freezers, washers,
dryers, stoves, beds, mattresses, bedding and quilts. They also organize
volunteers to make and package baby layettes, which include clothes, diapers,
blankets, formula and baby food.
The center shares literature, such as Signs of the Times, health-related
pamphlets, a Russian paperback cookbook and The
Great Controversy, in addition to offering vegetarian cooking classes.
A retired doctor, Oliver Lowery, commutes 33 miles to give
free blood pressure tests on Tuesday. "I’m amazed how much stuff is pushed
through this place," he said.
Matt. 25:40 sums up the principle of the Better
Living Center:
"Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren
you have done it unto me."
Richard La Com and Ernie Schaak
2006
Meeting Called by Cheri Corder UCC Community Services, due
to complaints about the center, Safety inspection completed December 7, 2006
Much work need to clean the center and make it Presentable and useful.
11321 People
3840 House Holds
1123 New to the BLC
473,074 pounds of food
November 2006 Gene Moe filled in for Ken Noah because Ken’s
health was not good.
2007 9831 People
3382
House Holds
979 New to BLC
354,925 pounds of food
March 13 Gene Moe Interim Director. First Interim board
meeting since 2001
March 24, 2007
Ken & Mary Noah’s Recognition Celebration
Cleaned the Center out, New Flooring $12848.75 and Interior
Paint $827.39.
Hope Task Force helped with painting
July Car wash fund raiser
, Thanksgiving bags, Small Christmas gifts, Towel &
Kitchen sets.
All from privet donations and store salvage.
2008 January Director: Gene M.
February 12, 2008
Ruth S. Director;
New Furnace; $3398.00: New Roof $13,515.25. Removal of old
roof $1987.04.
11551 People
4136
House holds
1213 New to BLC
358,254 pounds of food
7487.75
Volunteer Hours
Valentines bags, Ester baskets,
mother’s day popery measuring cups, Thanksgiving bags, Christmas wrap &
store.
$490, 00.00 Value
2009
Director: Ruth S.
Board Chair: Chad
C.
Secretary: Gretal C.
Treasurer: Ron W.
Unclean meats no longer given out at the Center
Mission project
Helped 21 Massie from Africa with 450 pounds of food
Blood Pressures and Nurse Council started Tuesdays
Center Open from 9:00AM till 6:00PM
on Tuesdays
5977 People
2115 House holds
2497 New to BLC
185,608
pounds of food
8549.25
Volunteer Hours
Valentines cards & Chocolates, Ester Baskets, mother’s
day popery all donated or store salvage
April 18, 2009
Open House
Fund Raiser Linda’s Sew & Sew ( $296.00) BLC Quilts($100.00)
He’s Alive Broadcasting moves into the West end of the
building. 15 E North Foothills dr.
2010
Director: Ruth S.
Board Chair: Chad
C.
Secretary: Gretal C.
Treasurer: Ron W.
May – He’s alive puts up new sign at 15 E North Foothills
KEN NOAH It is with great sadness to let you know
Ken Noah passed away on Tuesday, July 13. He was Beloved Church Member
and served the Lord as a long-time Better Living Center Volunteer and in other
ministries. All are invited to celebrate his life during a Memorial
Service on Wednesday, July 21, at 11 a.m. at Central Church. If there are any questions, please contact Central Church at (509) 328-5900.
2010 Statistics
11758 People
4236
House holds
3666 New to BLC
327972 pounds of food
5314
Volunteer Hours
