Corbin Senior Activity Center promotes a philosophy to seniors, which encourages continuing education, keeping active in mind, body and spirit, making friends and enjoying life. As a goal, Corbin will continue to enhance its programs to meet the needs of the growing senior population.
 
In 1967, the old Corbin Park Methodist Church building was standing vacant…a target for vandalism and a neighborhood eyesore. A far-sighted neighbor took this as a challenge to begin a program for seniors. They advertised and a hand full of interested people met to begin to lay the groundwork for what has become the most successful Senior Center in Spokane! Through the efforts of Corbin’s early pioneers and assistance of Doug Yeager, then director of the Area Agency on Aging, and the City of Spokane, a Grant was written with the newly legislated Older Americans Act to secure funding for this new venture. The Methodist Church also cooperated in this effort by “loaning” the building to the center for a very nominal fee.

A part time staff person was hired as a secretary in 1967 to assist the center’s director. In the early years the center operated on a very limited schedule. It wasn’t long before interest began to grow. Potlucks, card parties, knitting, crocheting, arts and crafts became the nucleus of activity.  An idea was born……DAY TRIPS! Routes were scouted out and then a bus was hired so they could take groups out on “tour”. The idea caught hold very quickly and soon people were asking for more than a day trip. Before we knew it, a very successful Tour Program was begun, Corbin Tours. In the mean time the center was growing and a monthly newsletter was published. The Spokane Parks & Recreation department was very involved in the funding of the center. In 1972 the grant money from the Older Americans Act was running out but at the same time the tours were really showing signs of success. In 1974 a full time secretary and activity director were hired. The center itself was becoming busier and busier with new classes and activities being added monthly.
 
The next 20 years brought incredible change, the tour program, still growing added 1 more person to the centers staff. Corbin Tours begins its overseas programs to complement the domestic program and day tour programs. The Henderson Hall was remodeled to create a functional activity room that holds 150 people. A dumbwaiter was added so they could serve lunches from the kitchen downstairs to the people sitting upstairs. A new addition to the building was added in 1990 making the center almost twice its size! There were now 3 classrooms, each holding up to fifty people as well as wheelchair access to both levels of the building. In 1994 a full commercial kitchen and dining room were added next to the Henderson Room providing an additional 50 seats for our lunches. The “old” kitchen downstairs was turned into our Lapidary room. A parking lot was built to the south of the center.

It is now the year 2010 and our staff has once again grown, now employing 3 people. Corbin is currently serving the needs of over 2100 members! We have a new coffee station and are working on getting an elevator.
 
Our continuing education program has expanded to include Spokane’s Community College Senior Programs; oil, water and china painting; bridge, pinochle, scrabble, mahjong and poker; American history, genealogy, Spanish and German language classes; tai chi, hiking, low impact aerobic, hula, ballroom, clogging and line dancing. We have completed an addition to our building that now houses Corbin’s Thrifty Boutique, a valuable fundraiser for Corbin. The building is busy 24 hours a day! Many groups use the building to hold meetings, potlucks, parties and family celebrations.
 
Corbin’s Day Tours have also grown from just a couple every month to offering 15-20 tours each month! We travel around our area locally and also go to events outside of town. Once a month we go to dinner at a local restaurant (taking as many as 36 people), picking fruit in the Green Bluff area, cruising on Lake Coeur d’Alene, going to the Othello Crane Festival and many others. Corbin also takes people to the Civic Theatre, North Idaho College Theatre, the Arena and the Spokane Opera House for special events. It is just so much more fun to go in a group rather than by yourself!
 
Although the Focus and Mission of Corbin is to serve the senior population, we believe that we must include the whole family into our center. We do not have an age requirement for membership or participation. (The Institute for Extended Learning/Senior Programs does have an age requirement, it is 55 and older.) Whole families travel and play together at Corbin; there is something for all. We encourage everyone to become members and attend our center. We have made a few changes in our programming in 2001. We now have evening and weekend classes/workshops, specialized outings that focus on an activity i.e. fossil digging in Republic and different types of activities to bring generations together.

In 2000 & 2001 Corbin Tours sent travelers to the following destinations; Germany, British Isles, Ireland, Scotland, France, Kenya, Canada, Mexico, Panama Canal, China, Tournament of Roses, Branson, San Francisco, Wallowa Lake, Oregon, Hawaii, and many other exciting places! Most of Corbin’s Tours are fully escorted tours that start right from our own parking lot. You might travel with a group of people from Spokane or possibly with some of our clients who live elsewhere in the country. Corbin Tours is dedicated to providing you with the best that the travel world has to offer.

We are now pleased to offer our members and our community a full service Cruise and Tour agency. We are now able to book individual travel as well as groups. Corbin Tours also has a fulltime cruise consultant to assist with your travel needs. Did you know that your travel dollars go to support the City of Spokane’s largest Senior Center? Things are changing at Corbin Tours; we’re not just for seniors anymore! Corbin Tours is dedicated to providing quality customer service and unique travel experiences.
 
A final word about our volunteers, we currently have about 100 active volunteers who are as responsible as we are for molding and creating Corbin into what it has become. No person is more important than the team and our volunteers are just that, a team and without them we wouldn’t be playing this game. All of our volunteers are also involved with the RSVP program. I am so very proud of them and I am proud of our community, together we can make a difference in peoples lives.
 
Yes, Corbin has come a very long way since 1967. It’s exciting to think about the future of this center and where Corbin will be in another 5, 10 or 20 years.