Wallingford Community Senior Center (WCSC), housed in the historic Good Shepherd Center in north Seattle, has struggled with the financial and capacity issues familiar to many local nonprofits in the wake of the 2008 recession. As the only senior-oriented facility of its kind in all of north-central and northeast Seattle, this community-based organization has served the critical needs of an aging population for over thirty years. However, in 2009 it faced the difficult reality of having to cut many of its programs and let go of much of its staff in order to keep its doors open. Since then, with community will and support WCSC has been working hard to redefine, rebuild, and reinvigorate its services.

During this time of transition, one thing that has remained central to WCSC is its strong reliance on volunteers. From meal preparation and class instruction, to front desk staffing and event support, WCSC couldn’t operate without volunteers. Even though strengthening its volunteer system has been an explicit organizational priority since 2009, lack of staff capacity has consistently prevented progress. What WCSC’s Executive Director Kathleen Cromp needed was someone who could focus solely on building the systems and infrastructure that are the foundation of its volunteer engagement efforts.