Community heroes keep Parker Senior Center thriving for local seniors

If Parker Senior Center faltered, many Douglas County seniors would lose far more than a place to eat lunch. They would lose the meals, exercise classes, card tables and daily human contact that have anchored 10675 Longs Way in Parker since 1985.

The 40-year-old independent nonprofit owns and operates its own facility and two buses, a rare level of local control that has helped it stay rooted in the community. It serves active adults 50 and older in Parker, Douglas County and surrounding areas, with chef-made meals, morning exercise, dance, art, group outings and lifelong learning built into the weekly routine.

For the past decade, members and leaders said much of that success has rested on Rich and Donna Foerster. Rich Foerster served in multiple leadership roles, including treasurer and board president, helping steer long-term direction. Donna Foerster led fundraising efforts and event planning that brought in critical support and kept the center visible to the broader community.

“Connection... I think that that's just vital. And so many communities around us don't have something like this,” Donna Foerster said.

That connection matters in a town where the senior population is growing fast. A 2022 planning summary for the Parker Senior Center and RTD site said Parker’s 55-and-older population increased 49% from 2014 to 2019. The same analysis found that Parker residents 65 and older had a median household income of $61,250, well below the townwide median of $110,934, and that 58% of Parker householders age 65 and older were paying more than 35% of income for rent.

Those numbers help explain why the Parker Senior Center functions as more than a gathering place. It is part of a broader older-adult network that Douglas County says includes Aging Resources of Douglas County, the Castle Rock Senior Activity Center and transit and resource-navigation services. The Town of Parker also lists the center as a key senior resource.

Inside the center, the daily draw is practical and personal: line dance on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., total body workout, cribbage, shared meals and group outings. For seniors who live alone or are watching every dollar, that mix can mean nutrition, movement and a reason to leave the house.

If the center ever weakened, Parker would not just lose a building on Longs Way. It would lose one of the few places where aging in Douglas County still looks social, active and connected.