On November 10th, 1978, the Center for Older Adults Northwest – now called Center in the Park (CIP) – held its 10th anniversary celebration at the Germantown YWCA Building, featuring prominent community members and those who were instrumental in shaping the histories of the Center and the YWCA. Highlights included the appearance of Representative David Richardson and the presentation of a framed print of the invitation given to Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers. A paragraph from the Center’s annual report that reiterated the Center’s philosophy was read:

The Center program is constantly being updated to meet the current needs and desires of its constituency. The underlying philosophy is to allow the independent elderly to do more than just exist in the community they call home. The Center has created an atmosphere that welcomes older people to share their skills with those less skilled, share their concerns with those less concerned, and share their friendship and love with each other. It is a place where the subliminal societal message of worthlessness given to older people in America is reversed.

Rennie Cohen, former Executive Director of what was then the Center for Older Adults, Northwest, said that the attitude at COA accepts rather than rejects infirmities, gray hair, wrinkling, and loneliness as part of the normal life process. Cohen, as Executive Director from 1974-2003, established a strong foundation for Center in the Park, which is still going strong in 2025 after 57 years.

In the photos that follow, view a snapshot of the celebratory atmosphere and aroma of friendship that permeated the event. All photos were obtained from the Center in the Park archives.