Is it the food or is it the fellowship? What brings more than 100 local senior citizens out once a month to the potluck luncheon at the Zillah Civic Center depends on who you ask.
Toby Franklin, 87 and his wife, Mary Betty, 86, have been coming to the Zillah Senior Center potlucks for more than 10 years.
Both agree they come for two reasons – the food and the fellowship.
Fellow member Ralph Hendrickson moved to Zillah in 1941, as a fourth-grade student and was raised in the Valley. He began coming to the center two years ago after retiring from farming.
“You know everybody here,” he said. “We are all friends. We just come and visit our old friends.”
Jay Tuman is the president of the Zillah Senior Center. Tuman retired two years ago from Perry Technical Institute in Yakima and lives in Zillah.
“It’s a real enjoyable group,” Tuman said. “Our main purpose is our monthly potluck and socializing. It is a great monthly event for all of us.”
According to Tuman, the local Senior Center membership is between 90 and 120 members.
Members and guests enjoy a monthly potluck on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
The potluck luncheon begins at noon, but many members will arrive earlier to visit and catch up on the latest news. Members are not just from Zillah, but also include Granger, Toppenish, Wapato and several members from the Yakima area.
Tuman said the monthly potluck is a big social event for area seniors.
“The outing once a month serves to get people out for part of a day and involved outside their home surroundings,” he said.  “It keeps them active, involved and involved in an activity among their peers.”
What’s among the popular potluck fare – a variety of casseroles, salads, meatloaf, fried chicken, and assorted pies, cakes and cookies.
Senior Center members who attend the monthly luncheons are welcome to bring their favorite dishes. Although some ladies are urged to bring favorites like homemade fruit pies, specialty casseroles and fried chicken.
The local seniors group has also been an active part of community events and activities. They have supported students who showed animals at the annual Central Washington Junior Livestock Show in Toppenish. The group also awarded scholarships in past years.
In 2007, the group made a sizeable donation to the City of Toppenish to help fund the purchase of a large U S flag at Pioneer Park.
In addition to the potluck, the Center hosts a foot clinic for seniors two or three times a month and also allows the facility to be used during the income tax senior for senior citizens and low income residents needed tax assistance help when filing their taxes.
Each December, the membership looks forward to the Clark Family Christmas party. Zillah Mayor Gary Clark has hosted a party for all members just prior to Christmas. The large, holiday dinner is served free and is in honor of Clark’s parents who were active members of the Senior Center for many years.
According to Tuman, the potluck sometimes includes a special program. School officials are invited to talk about school levies, bonds and special school projects. Other community members are also asked to talk about upcoming community events.
The Senior Center facility was built by the City of Zillah in 1996. The City asked citizens to approve  a bond in November of 1995 to fund the $226,000 cost of construct.
The City was in charge of the building’s management for several years before turning over to a Senior Center management team.
Although the City of Zillah still owns the property, they have a written lease agreement with the Senior Center management team for use of the facility and a written contact.
The Management team includes several members of the senior citizen’s group. This past spring, they were awarded the Zillah Chamber of Commerce 2010 Business of the Year award.
Zillah Chamber president Ken Waymire said the award was well deserved for the volunteer board.
“They do an outstanding job,” Waymire said. “They deserved the award for the great job they do in running and maintaining the facility.”
Each year the Senior Center board selected a Senior Citizen of the Year. The award is announced at the annual spring Zillah Community Awards banquet.
The Center also received a grant from Legend’s Casino this spring to purchase paint for the building.
A volunteer group from the Zillah Church of the Nazarene painted the outside of the building while another group from the Church of God painted the building’s interior.
The only requirement for membership is a person must be 55 years of age or older. The annual membership fee is $10 per person.