Vashon Senior Center Commitment to Inclusivity

We pledge to be a community of inclusion.  

As a community center for seniors, we are committed to social justice and all it encompasses. This includes respect for the individual, and awareness, tolerance, and acceptance of our differences, including, but not limited to race, religion, gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, political leaning, language, class, or socio-economic status.

Many of us have witnessed, and in some cases been victims of discriminatory actions, policies, and laws. We stand with those who have suffered that trauma and want the Vashon Senior Center to be a welcoming place where those experiences are acknowledged and validated.

Further, we recognize the primary benefactors of the resources of the Center have been of European descent. We acknowledge that the settlement of Vashon and Maury Islands displaced and disenfranchised Indigenous people who had been here for hundreds of generations. We commit to take the time to honor those people who are still here among us, the sx̌ʷəbabš (meaning ‘Swiftwater People”), on whose traditional lands we live, work and play. 

By recognizing the historical homogeneity of our beloved organization, we realize there is much we can do to fulfill our mission of enriching the lives of ALL older adults on Vashon and Maury Islands. We commit to the following:

 ·      Inviting new voices and partners to engage with us to expand programming and to reflect greater diversity of life experiences. 

 ·      Racially diversifying the membership of our board, activity leaders, volunteers, and staff.

·      Sharing the human and physical resources of the Vashon Senior Center with other organizations that serve under-represented communities or actively engage in anti-racism work.

·      Finally, by recognizing that racism is indeed a public health crisis, we continue to train our staff, board, and volunteers on how to create a more inclusive, welcoming, and diverse environment. 

Rev 7/12/2021