Seniors and community members gather at the historic Garland Theater each month for Senior Cinema Day, a program that gives older adults an affordable opportunity to watch a movie and build connections.

The Senior Cinema Day program was created through a partnership between Meals on Wheels Spokane, Mid-City Concerns Senior Center, and the Garland Theater.

“The fun part is, the general public shows up and comes as well,” says Owen Esperas, executive director of Meals on Wheels Spokane and Mid-City Concerns Senior Center. “The vision has been really neat to see come to life.”

The program is held on the first Tuesday of each month at the Garland Theather, at 924 W. Garland.

The next Senior Cinema Day gathering will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, and will feature the 2008 film "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, the theater will show the 1946 classic film "It’s A Wonderful Life," starring James Stewart and Donna Reed.

The movies start at 1 p.m. and wrap up around 3 p.m., says Donna Kronberg, a member of Mid-City Concerns Senior Center who attends the Senior Cinema Day events.

Kronberg takes a shuttle from the senior center to the Garland Theater. For her, the event is an opportunity to socialize.

“I have (met) a few people and have even seen people I already know,” says Kronberg.

Kronberg recommends families, friends, and children join their parents or grandparents at the Senior Cinema Day movies. 

Creating connections is a key part of the Senior Cinema Day program, according to a press release from Meals on Wheels.

“We know that getting out of the house, having something to look forward to, and spending time with other people can make such a difference,” says Gail Golden, development director for Meals on Wheels Spokane, in the release. “Senior Cinema is about much more than watching a movie. It’s about friendship, laughter, and making sure our seniors have opportunities to stay connected and engaged in their community.”

A Senior Cinema Day pass costs just $5 per year, says Esperas. Pass holders also receive discounts at the theater's concession stand on the first Tuesday of each month. The pass also enables members to watch Sunday movies at the Garland for free.

Senior Cinema Day was formed at the end of 2024, says Esperas.

“When we do Meals on Wheels, it’s twofold,” he says. “It’s a nutrition thing, and that’s why we provide the meals daily, but almost as important is the socialization that the clients get as well. We hold both of those in high regard because they’re properties for every human being.”

Monthly attendance varies, he says, ranging from 15 to 100 people depending on the film. Members from different community centers and retirement complexes participate in the event as well.

To select movies for the program each month, organizers ask seniors what they would like to see and try to determine the expected attendance size for each movie, says Esperas.

“We work with the staff at the Garland,” he says. “The nice part is, we get recommendations from the senior center members on what they’d want to see on the big screen, and then work through it in that fashion.”

Esperas says working with the Garland Theater is a welcome partnership.

"We can’t do this on our own," he says. "It takes a village to make sure people are seen and provided resources. To have a strong partner like the Garland is invaluable, not just for our own senior center but for the community as a whole."

Established in 1967, Meals on Wheels Spokane consists of more than 500 volunteers and provides more than 600 meals a day to seniors in the area, according to the organization's website. The nonprofit’s associated senior center, the Mid-City Concerns Senior Center, located at 1222 W. Second, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and provides hot lunch five days a week to individuals 60 years and older. Activities offered at the center include arts and crafts, Wii bowling, karaoke, bingo, and more.

For more information about Meals on Wheels, the senior center, or upcoming events, readers can visit mowspokane.org.